Code Cinderella
by KiKi Hayashi
Summary: AU. He was a prince, she was a servant, they were introduced by a red bird, they danced at a ball, she left at midnight, he found her again and they lived happily ever after. All that and because C.C. obviously stands for Code Cinderella.
1. Cinderella's Beginning

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Code Geass or the story of Cinderella. They belong to their respective owners.

**Firstly, apologies to ****Warangel88** for posting this fic first without consulting you even though I was the one who requested the fic and now, unable to resist the tem[ptation, ended up writing it myself. Sorry if it clashes, in any part, with your Cinderella fic.

**Secondly, apologies to my beta-readers.** I'm sorry I never asked for your opinion on this story and for not letting you read and correct it first. It's not because you're no good. In fact, you're so brilliant I need sunglasses just to look at you! But I really want to test myself with this and is willing to grovel at your very feet for forgiveness just if you'll let me try this.

* * *

**Chapter One – Cinderella's Beginning**

* * *

Once upon a time, I was a sweet and charming child. I was loved by all who met me. I was timid and so soft-spoken that my parents forever teased me of never being able to run a household with such a small voice. They showered me with gifts, love and affection – so much that, when I think back now, I cannot help but wonder if it was all a dream for surely it was impossible to have such a sweet, sugary life.

It most certainly must be a dream for it shattered at the blink of an eye. My father died, my mother grieved and unable to protect us alone, she, in her confused and desperate state, married another man in hopes of at least giving me a semi-stable household to live in.

"This is all I can do for you," she whispered to me on her deathbed and then swiftly departed and joined my father somewhere far away.

From then on, my step-father ruled the house and I was stripped of everything from my bedroom to my dresses to my dolls. The only item I kept from my innocent childhood was the small red bird that my father got from a nun on one of the business trips.

Now, many years on, I sleep in my tiny room with the servants and wear clothes that were so bland and coarse that it would scratch my young innocent self's skin had I placed them on her shoulders.

My first years as a servant consisted of nothing else but tears, whimpering, trembling from terror and wondering what I did wrong to be punished like this. I didn't understand why I had to turn my hands from delicate soft silk to the hard dry skin that now covered it. I didn't understand why I was forced, kicking and screaming, to dunk my hair into black dye simply because my step-father found my green locks to hurtful for the eyes.

Then, a few years on, when the memories of my innocent and sweet childhood became so different from my current life that it seemed to be a different life altogether, I grew tired, lazy and accepted it. Now, I just try to make life as easy as possible. I do everything as my step-father ordered.

He demand his marble staircase cleaned and polished? I do exactly that but what he doesn't know is that where his eyes don't see and his fingers don't touch, I skipped them out – it was too much of a chore to scrub every crevice when I could simply hide it with a potted plant or cleverly placed rug.

"C.C.," he would bellow, chin hiding behind a fan and eyes regarding me with distaste. He called me that name for so long that I could not even phantom ever being called another name… speaking of which… what was my name anyway?

"Don't stand there staring at nothing. Hurry and clear these dishes away. I have guests coming this afternoon." So I stopped trying to remember my name and started clearing the dishes.

"Hm?" I would say as I stack plates on top of each other at the rate of a snail crossing a garden, "this afternoon? Then what is the rush, it is only morning still. That means I have a few hours to do this."

My step-father would then snap his fan shut and, with an irritated hiss, crack the fan across my arm thus creating another new bruise for me to examine later on in the day. I would shrug, gathered the rest of the dishes and make my way out of the dining room without so much as a whimper. One would wonder why I dare or made the effort of talking to my step-father in such way when I was only going to be punished for it. Yet, when I was going to be punish for lesser things anyway, why should I bother to seal my lips?

It's only a bruise. It's not like it will not heal over and it's not like I can escape the life of a servant just by silencing my words. So why bother? Keeping control over my words is such a tiresome chore and as I said, I have grown lazy over the years and getting more so with each passing year. At least talking back to my step-father kept me entertained just by seeing how many different expressions he could make.

Hm? What's this? I have spoken for so long yet I haven't told you who I am? Hn, easily rectified.

I am C.C., a servant, a maid, a lowly being in this household that's made up of my step-father, his daughter, a cook and a coachman who also doubles as a bodyguard and handyman when things break.

My hair was green as lime and felt as soft as a chick's downy feathers but, as I mentioned before, my step-father disliked it and dunked it in black dye so that now, with the lack of proper care and flowery-scented hair products, it's dull and rough on the fingers. Sometimes when the dye was starting to wash out and the green started showing, I would smother it in soot and ashes just so that I don't have to go through that bothersome ordeal of shoving my head in the swirling black waters of the dye.

Now, surely that was enough of a description of me. Eh? What? My step-father? So many questions, you have!

He's a man of oriental origins and who specialises in importing oriental furniture and accessories. What of his name? Gao Hai, of course! I'm sure you must have heard of his name or at least remember his face, which is rather hard to forget for it is pale as the moon and he wanders around wearing brightly coloured robes with his lower half of his face hidden behind a fan. His voice is pitched strangely and in the past, when I was a child, I wondered if my mother married a man or a woman.

I assume you would like to know the rest of the household then? Hm, you are truly a curious being and I am truly far too tired to explain but I guess I'll oblige just this once.

There is Xianglin the cook and Xingke the stableman, both of who were brought over from China when my step-sister came to live with us. There use to be a live-in gardener as well. His name was Mao and he followed me around like a duckling so I grew fond of him and allowed him to rest his head on my lap as we sat in the garden and watch the sun shine on the rhododendrons. Then one day, out of the blue, he came to me early in the morning when I barely even escaped dreamland yet.

"C.C., I'm going to run away and make a fortune. Then I'll come back even richer than Gao Hai to marry you," he said and then before I could reply, he walked away and never came back to the house.

Gao Hai was very angry and had struck on me more than usual with his hand. I knew Mao was trouble! Had I known he would have made be punished so badly, I would never had let him put his head on my lap!

The next day, Gao Hai found a new gardener who came round every two days to care for the plants but he was a man with a face and personality that screamed to be ignored no matter how chatty he was. One suspected that he simply loved the sound of his own voice for he never shut up. There are mornings when I come down the stairs, ready for another day of chores and would hear an annoying off-key voice singing in the garden. I would go 'aa, Tamaki is here today. I really must remember to buy earplugs one day.'

Let's see, the gardener, the stableman and the cook. Who else… aa yes, my step-sister.

She was like a beautiful china doll that appeared one day, hiding behind a large suitcase and shivering like a scared rabbit. Her name was Lihua but Gao Hai like to call her his little Tianzi which made it awfully confusing during the first week especially when my step-father insisted that we address her as such too. Xianglin and Xingke are fiercely loyal to the child for some unknown reason. She had them wrapped about those delicate fingers of her and had she ever asked them to jump, they would immediately respond 'how high?' whilst halfway to the ceiling.

Now I know you must shiver at the thought of Gao Hai being the father of such a timid little rabbit so rest assured that I have been told they were not related. Little Tianzi was adopted by him and one cannot blame Gao Hai. She had such long pale hair and skin, an awfully shy nature and large eyes that stare up so innocently - how can you possibly resist her?

Hmm, I hope that was enough of a description of my life for you because, frankly, I'm getting rather tired of talking about it. Shall we change to a better subject? Not that I'm going to give you a say in the matter anyway… Unless! Unless you can get me one of those flatbreads with tomato sauce and cheese smear on top that the new bakery at the end of the road offers. I only tried them once as a free sample and I am most positively hooked on them now. I wonder if there are other toppings for them…

Now, look what you have done! I am salivating at the very thought of those flatbreads now! I must go buy some at once. I'm sure Xianglin must have something she need from the market. I shall it as an excuse to escape this house for a while.

* * *

Gao Hai has released my bird! My poor like Geass cannot survive outside by itself! I knew venturing out of the house to buy the flatbread was a mistake! This was your entire fault, you know that. Had you not made me think of that flatbread (which I learnt was actually called 'pizza'), I wouldn't have gone out of the house and Gao Hai wouldn't let my bird escape. Hm, oh so troublesome. In fact, I think I am so very 'sick with worry' that I think I need another one of these pizzas to calm myself down now.

* * *

Three days and my little Geass still have not returned and my purse does not have enough money for another pizza! The horror! You are the most despicable being, you know. This is your fault entirely, completely and most certainly.

* * *

Oh! Geass came back. Well, there's a surprise. I didn't think it'll come back and was starting to rejoice the fact that I don't have to feed him and clean out his cage anymore. Hnnn, he (I am most certain he's a he) came back so I guess I'll have to find that cage again. So bothersome, especially after I spent all the time polishing it and now it's going to be covered with bird poo again.

I shall go fetch the cage immediately and- ara? Why are you looking at me so impatiently, Xingke? Oh very well, I shall take Geass off your hands now. Men are such impatient creatures.

"Thank you, where was he?" I asked.

He shrugged and replied, "He flew into the garden this morning; Tamaki was trying to have him for breakfast."

"Thank you for saving him," I replied and walked away with Geass standing in on my hand. I think this call for a celebratory pizza. I wonder if Xianglin would mind lending me some money as I'm mostly penniless until the next payday which and, since Gao Hai never liked keeping track of trivial things such as paydays, who knows when that would be.

* * *

Xianglin was not in an accommodating mood today. Gao Hai had officially banned me from helping her in the kitchen.

"I will not have my dinner smelling like mops!" he boomed, fan fluttering at like a bird desperately flapping its wings to stay afloat.

"Really? The entire house smells like mops (how else can you get as sparkly floor as this without using a mop?) and you didn't complain so naturally I would have thought you wouldn't mind the dinner being so scented as well," I cleverly replied whilst pulling a tray of biscuits from the oven.

There goes the snap of his fan and the crack of it on my left shoulder. It made my biscuits scatter onto the floor and Xianglin having to re-bake the lot.

I gathered up the dirty biscuits (it's such a waste to throw the biscuits away simply because they touched the floor for two seconds) and quickly retire to the laundry room where I can be out of Xianglin's glaring range.

Biting into my biscuits, I set Geass on the windowsill, broke some crumbs for him then started working on some clothes that were in desperate need of repair.

Hmm, the biscuits are not fluffy enough in texture. I must warn Xianglin of it next time when she's in a better mood. Oh a dress of Miss Tianzi's!

The young miss have such small hips which is natural since she is but a child but one cannot help but envy the petite-ness of little girls and silently wish you were that age again.

What's this? Here, I was nibbling on a biscuit whilst trying to darn a stocking and I noticed Geass had something strapped to his leg. I set down the biscuit and the stocking, pin the needle back into its pin cushion and coaxed my little red bird over.

He chirped and hopped onto my knee where I proceed to extract that little bit of paper tied onto his leg. Who dared turned my precious bird into a messenger pigeon?

_To the owner of this bird,_

_A sincerest apologies for your bird's delayed return. My sister had unknowingly captured it believing it was a wild unknown breed. She had it in her care for a few days, charmed by its handsome red coat until I happen upon noticing the ribbon that was on its neck. I know not if it was placed there intentionally for an owner to recognise the bird or if it was a childish passing whim of a stray child in the street. I also know not if the bird knew his way back but I shall attach this note on regardless. Many apologies for the worry it must have caused you._

_Sincerely,_

_Lulu_

Oh such tiny writing! My eyes hurt. I blinked them rapidly for a while and then reread the note. How could anybody fit so much writing on such small space? I turned the note around in my hands, pondering over the excessively swirly handwriting.

Hmm…I think I will need to ponder over this over a pizza. Oh no no. I am most certainly not just using any excuse possible to eat pizza- most certainly not, I assure you. It is just that I think better when the cheesy toppings melt in my mouth and when the tang of the tomato sauce blend with the crisp floury base that was the flatbread. Is it a flatbread? It doesn't look like any flatbread I have ever witness before…Hmm more things to ponder over with pizza.

Oh wait, I have no money and Xianglin refuse to lend me any. Oh sigh! I guess I shall just have to continue nibbling on these biscuits and imagine them as pizza.

…

…

…

Xingke! Maybe I will have money for pizza after all.

* * *

END OF CHAPTER ONE

* * *

**What's one of the main reasons I have for wanting to write this fic? Answer- the image of Gao Hai being the stepmother/father figure is too absurd to not be written.**

**Comments will be appreciated and do feel free to be as critical as you like/wish/can, it will be much loved.**

**KiKi Hayashi**


	2. Cinderella's Letters

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Code Geass or the story of Cinderella. They belong to their respective owners.

**Apologies to my beta-readers for not letting you read/correct this first.**

* * *

**Chapter Two – Cinderella's Letters**

* * *

I started to grow suspicious when Geass kept disappearing and with each disappearance he came back more groomed and fatter than he left. How did he escape the cage anyway? Did Gao Hai find out and release him on each return? Unlikely, since my pet's cage never left my room and even the wicked Gao Hai would not have the patience and energy to constantly trek up to my little room to check on Geass's return. Perhaps I should close my window when I leave my room in the morning…

Back on subject, I grew even more suspicious when Geass returned without a ribbon one day but thinking it was caught on a stray branch, I brushed the issue aside, muttered my annoyance of having to find him a new bit of neckwear and fed him his usual breadcrumbs from my hand.

My suspicions were finally confirmed when the horrid bird flew off the next morning and returned in the early afternoon with a brightly coloured purple ribbon that was so shiny and well made that I had to blink at it for a good few minutes. Pinching the ends of the ribbon, I marvelled at the way it slid across the tip of my fingers like water. Truly beautiful and truly expensive it must be!

"You devilish bird," I grinned, tapping his beak as he puffed himself up like a proud beast. Not that you can blame him, he looked mighty handsome in the ribbon. I picked him off the windowsill and without a second thought, lifted one of his legs and untied another tiny note.

_To the owner of this bird,_

_I know not whether to be amused or honoured of your bird's interest in my home. He visit daily and my sister is only too delighted to play with him - so delighted that she gifted him with a new ribbon when she noticed the old one have lost its colours. I hope you would not mind and would continue to permit his visits. He is most welcomed and will be well treated in his stay._

_Sincerely,_

_Lulu_

Again, she could not help but ponder over how it was possible to squeeze so many words onto a scrap of paper small and light enough to tie on Geass's feet.

"You sly bird," I teased as Geass twisted his head to look for his usual breadcrumbs, "you have been living off two households the entire time. How smart of you. Now I don't have to bother to feed you as much especially if the other family is rich enough to give expensive silk ribbons to random birds they meet."

Geass chirped and I added, "you better do your business at the other house too because your mistress here is too lazy to clean the poo from your cage each day."

* * *

_Lulu,_

_Thank you for the ribbon. I had been wondering where Geass had been when he disappeared._

_C.C._

There! That will do. It has been a long time since I have written anything but a list of groceries and my writing was not as elegant nor able to become as small as that of this Lulu's but it'll do.

Downstairs, Gao Hai called for me to help Miss Tianzi get dressed – Miss Kaguya was coming over for tea and he will not have his daughter appear in front of others in such a bland dress.

I tied the note onto my bird's leg, and left the room, taking my time descending the stairs.

"Why did you take so long?" Gao Hai demanded then paused in his line of complaints, lowered his fan from his chin and took hold of a lock of my hair. He 'tsk'-ed disapprovingly and with disgust dropped the strands to cover his face with his fan again as if I smelt of a year's worth of forgotten laundry.

"Tsk, tsk," he started, "your hair is returning to that vile colour again. We shall have to ready another wash of black dye. Now move and wash your hands. My Tianzi will not smell like a servant when she greets guests."

Had Miss Tianzi not been as sweet and endearingly shy, I would have fervently pushed this task of dressing her to Xianglin but she was that sweet and that timidly shy so I shall dress her as such. At least it was better work than going downstairs and washing my step-father's robes.

It took three washes before Gao Hai was satisfied with my hands and allowed me into the young miss's rooms.

Tianzi sat on the bed, blushing from embarrassment of her father making such a big fuss over everything and wringing her handkerchief uncomfortably. "I can dress myself, father," she whispered when he was gone.

"Then you should tell him that," I told her as I moved to her wardrobe and examined all her clothes. Miss Tianzi bit her bottom lip and I knew she wouldn't have it in her to tell Gao Hai anything. Like the way she has XingKe and Xianglin wrapped about her finger, Gao Hai had his daughter completely under his control like a beautiful puppet.

"What would you like to wear?" I asked her and she stared at me worriedly before moving her head and resting her eyes on dress laid out on chaise lounge by the window.

It was an old dress, the shape and stitching was no longer in style, that much I can tell from a distance but as I walked closer I noticed something familiar.

It was not until I was halfway across the room that I realised that it was _my_ dress - one of my old dresses to be exact. I stopped in my tracks and stared blankly at it, mind floating back to when mother gave me it on one of my last birthday parties. I was much too small for it at that time but I remembered being awed by the tiny mother of pearl buttons that were sewn on like raindrops on the lilies embroidered on the skirts.

But I thought all my old things were sold.

I walked closer and picked up the garment, running my fingers over the lines. It was most definitely my dress. It had been altered slightly to fit Miss Tianzi but it was my dress.

"Your step-father complained you have too many dresses already," my mother explained when she gave it to me, "so I have one made for you to wear when you're older. You will look lovely in it."

I smiled and Tianzi looked at me like my smile was that of a madwoman's. It might be.

Should I throw a tantrum? Dash out and spit on Gao Hai's face for daring to give his daughter my things? Should I take the scissors from my maid apron and slash this dress to pieces? Should I grab it, lock myself in my room with it and adding my tears into its design?

I laughed to myself, "No, I am much too lazy to do any of that. It's all in the past and I can't change it."

Now Miss Tianzi was positively scared of me. Aa, a maid who talks to herself and laughing aloud. I would not be surprised if she was to bolt out of the room if I even so much as looked her way. I can imagine it: little Miss Tianzi, running like a scared rabbit, down the stairs, not to her father but to burrow in the arms of Xianglin or XingKe – whoever was the nearest.

Maybe I was a madwoman. I wouldn't be surprised if it was true since I don't know what other type of girl would narrate her actions to herself in her mind as if an audience sat in the very corners of it. Or possibly, my life as a servant was so tedious and uninteresting that my imagination have conjured somebody in my mind for me to talk to. Hm… curious… if that was true then my dear audience, you would need a name, no? Yes, a name… whatever shall I name you?

"I need to name you," I said aloud.

Miss Tianzi jumped from fright and clenched her skirts so tightly that I will have troubles ironing it out afterwards.

"C.C., are you… feeling fine?" she stammered, not quite daring to get off her bed to run.

"I'm much too lazy," I explained, uncaring if I made any sense or not, "the past doesn't matter anymore. I just want to live quietly now."

I held up the dress and gave my frightened young mistress a smile, "it would look beautiful on you."

She blushed uncertainly and for the time being, didn't run crying from me yet. Too bad, I'm sure Xingke would have been more than happy to protect her from a wicked witch – provided he doesn't melt into a puddle of goo when Tianzi leap into his arms crying to be saved.

I chuckled at my own imagination and Tianzi gave me another uncertain look to which I just wave aside and brought the dress up against her.

"You will look lovely," my mother had said and I repeat these words to the young miss in front of me. It doesn't hurt me anymore to think of my parents. Because hurting is too much effort and it can't help me now. So I dressed my little china doll and told her, "you will look lovely."

* * *

_C.C.,_

_I was surprised by your reply and was honoured that you took the time to pen it._

_Sincerely,_

_Lulu_

* * *

_Lulu,_

_Surprised? Why - because of the shortness of it or my immaculate penmanship? Not everyone can squeeze so many words into a slip of paper (nor do they have writing as curly as yours)._

_C.C._

* * *

_C.C.,_

_Surprised upon the fact you replied and with your second reply, surprised by your bluntness. You are not one to soften words, are you? My sister sends her regards and apologies for dominating so much of your bird's time. I assure you, he possessed every intention of making it a short stay but such a gentleman he is, he could not refuse my sister's pleas._

_Sincerely,_

_Lulu_

* * *

_Lulu,_

_Mincing words is not my specialty; it takes too much thought and energy. I prefer mincing meat instead – easier and a more satisfying outcome. Keep the stupid bird for as long as you like. Don't feed him too much; he is starting to look down upon the food I give him._

I paused, my pen still hovering above the page and furrowed my brows. In my delight in complaining about Geass, I have forgotten to leave myself enough room to sign my name.

Tired and yawning, I decided I simply cannot be bothered and blowing the ink dry, tied it on Geass's feet before crawling to bed.

"Stop eating so much, you won't be able to get out of that cage sooner or later," I muttered as my head hit the pillow, "and if you're not busy tomorrow, see if you can filch a slice of pizza from the bakery for me. I'm penniless and will not be able to afford it for a while."

Then I yawned and fell asleep, dreaming of the yellow blob that painted on the sign of the pizza shop.

* * *

_C.C.,_

_Had I a choice upon what to feed your bird, I would have made sure he was eating properly but, alas, I do not have this choice. The minute your fine bird flutters in is the minute my sister rolls her chair over, coos and kisses him with so much affection that I would momentarily be struck with jealousy. By the time I have recovered from gaping at my sister's attention to him, she would have already fed him an entire teacake._

_Sincerely,_

_Lulu_

* * *

_Lulu,_

_Teacakes? The devilish bird! His owner scrubs her hands raw from washing and he flutters off and dine on fine pastries?_

_C.C._

* * *

_Miss C.C.,_

_Had it been possible, I would have attached a teacake on this letter for you but I doubt your bird can take flight with it and I am most certain he would devour it before it reaches you. I cannot help but notice you used 'her hands'. It had never crossed my mind, which gender I was addressing when I wrote these notes. I apologise if I had offended you in my past writings for not recognising you as a young lady._

_Sincerely,_

_Lulu_

* * *

_Lulu,_

_I must laugh at your concern. A servant like me does not know how to be offended. We are at the lowest rung of the ladder already so nothing else could really hurt us further. Whatever made you think I am a young lady? I could be married old hag for all you know._

* * *

_C.C.,_

_Aa but if you were an old lady then you would chuckle and the words could be read as a compliment but if you are not old then I am merely addressing you properly._

_Sincerely,_

_Lulu_

"You are strange," I murmured as I read the note. What a strange girl this Lulu is. Why was she conversing with servant like myself? Was she that bored out of her mind? Does she have an imaginary audience in her mind as well?

With that in mind, I upturned the pickle jar I used to hold the notes and re-read each bit of writing. She does not come across as a madwoman. In fact, the image of a long haired beauty in an elaborate violet dress insisted on plastering itself in my mind. She would sit by the window of her drawing room and write these little notes because she was bored and her socialite life have gone so dull that she must exchange letters with a servant to stay from boredom.

Hm, what a strange young woman….

I flipped the note over, folded it into a tiny square and slipped them back into my jar on the shelf then crawled into bed, dreaming my long raven-haired friend and her little sister dancing in a garden of flowers.

* * *

_C.C.,_

_You did not write back._

_Sincerely,_

_Lulu_

* * *

_Lulu,_

_Not everyone have as much free time as you. I have work to do and floors to clean._

_C.C._

* * *

_C.C.,_

_And men to seduce, I assume._

_Sincerely,_

_Lulu_

* * *

_Lulu,_

_You are one amusing person. Men to seduce? Oh, how I laugh. Men are troublesome creatures and I am too lazy to trouble myself with finding one._

_C.C._

* * *

_C.C.,_

_Really? I'm jealous then. Nowadays, my parents does not go through a day without asking me to start finding somebody to marry. So many candidates float in and out of my house now that I am severely lacking privacy to do things I enjoy._

_Sincerely,_

_Lulu_

* * *

_Lulu,_

_I too am suffering a lack of time for myself. Have you heard of the ball that's being held at the castle this weekend? I am rushed off my feet just preparing all the things my stepfather and sister needs._

_C.C._

* * *

_C.C.,_

_Oh? Are you going to the ball as well?_

_Sincerely,_

_Lulu_

* * *

_Lulu,_

_Me?! To the ball? I am snorting with laughter. Why would I want to attend such a stuffy and boring event? Dancing is too much exercise for me. I prefer to sit at home and eat pizza._

_C.C._

* * *

_C.C.,_

_You're not coming? What a pity. I would have been more interested in it if you were coming but as it is, I find it so tedious and bothersome especially when my parents will, no doubt, be determined to find me a perfect match in it. Pizza? That new type of flatbread that is rather popular right now? Very well, I shall pull some strings._

_Sincerely,_

_Lulu_

* * *

END OF CHAPTER TWO

**Useless commercial:** We are rather quiet over at the C.C. x Lelouch ('Witch x Warlock') forum of this site and would love some new activity/people. If you love C.C., Lelouch and/or them as a pair then do feel free to pop in a have a chat with us. P.S. Tea and biscuits will be self-provided but random bouts of gushing/fangirling might be provided by yours truly and/or other members.

**KiKi Hayashi**


	3. Cinderella's Transformation

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Code Geass or the story of Cinderella. They belong to their respective owners.

**Apologies to my beta-readers for not letting you read/correct this first.**

**Warning for relatively long chapter** – Ever have one of those moments when you're so into something that you forget everything else? T'is what happened here – I started writing, I blinked and it's 4000 words.

**Commercial**: Come talk to us in the 'Witch x Warlock' forum! We need more members. We're friendly. We don't bite (though a few of us may or may not nibble). We -coughKiKicough- will also shower you with confetti and cookies!

* * *

**Chapter Three – Cinderella's Transformation**

* * *

_C.C.,_

_I have completed all the arrangements and am happy to inform you that there will indeed be pizza available at the ball._

_Looking forward to our meeting,_

_Lulu_

* * *

_Lulu,_

_Will the ball really be that dull that I really must attend in order to keep you entertained? It is really too much effort to dress for such an event but if you really insist then I guess I'll go. The food better be unlimited._

* * *

Gao Hai gave me a strange look as I strolled by with a smirk that was slightly more curved than my usual one. So curved were its corners that it was borderline smiling, had I been the type to smile. Smiling was too bright and shiny and so very hard to maintain that I don't do it often if at all. Besides, people often commented that my expressions and eyes were too old and wise to carry off an innocent smile – on my face, the smile transform into something that resemble more of smugness or sarcasm than cheeriness and sincerity.

"C.C., the fireplaces needs cleaning," Gao Hai ordered, his chin firmly tucked behind his little fan and his eyes examining me for a reaction to his words.

I paused mid-step, turned my head and gave him my usual response of 'hmm, really?' then sighed and waved the order aside for the time being. "I'll clean it after the laundry then."

Gao Hai's eyes continued to inspect me as I sauntered down the stairs with the laundry basket firmly tucked between my hip and right arm and my feather duster trailing in my other hand, lightly dusting the banisters as I descend.

"Tianzi and I are expecting a package to arrive at two this afternoon. Do try not to dirty it when you bring it up to our rooms," he tried again with his fan fluttering softly against his lower lip as he tried to figure out what was 'off' about me today. He could detect something was different but what exactly?

Indeed, I was in a rather different mood today. I am slightly more cheerful than usual as I have found a new friend who possessed enough power to pull strings at the royal ball this weekend so that they would serve pizza. The very idea of unlimited pizza completely free of charge made my mouth water and mind wander into dreamland where clouds were made of cheese, flatbreads and tomato sauce.

I reached the bottom step and turned about to peer up at him again. "Anything else, stepfather?"

We shared a staring match, his calculating eyes against my relatively emotionless and faintly amused ones.

Finally, I shrugged and went on with my merry way to the laundry room. I was rather confident that my body, expressions, actions and words did not reveal any of my joy. I wasn't really the type to show my emotions and it is tiring enough keeping my mind in a happy state much less all my actions happy.

I closed the laundry door behind me and started the sorting of the clothes in my basket.

Two minutes later, Gao Hai opened the door.

"Are you going to lend me a hand or not?" I asked without even looking up from the dress I was squinting at. Is that expensive pearl beading? Can I dump it in hot water without it being damaged?

Gao Hai scoffed at the idea of him working and then with a very smug voice said, "you will not be going to the ball."

My hands didn't stop working and my tone didn't stop being amused, "the ball? What ball? The one the neighbour's boy kept kicking over our fence?"

My step-father 'tsk'-ed and snapped his fan shut to fully glare at me seriously. "Don't act stupid, C.C.. I know you're more intelligent than you like us to believe. The royal ball is what I'm talking about."

I sighed dramatically and stopped working to return his stare. "You can't stop me from going. The invite said 'every lady of the household'."

"Aa, but you're not a lady. You're a maid. You're a servant. You'r-"

"Your step-daughter thus still a relation of yours (whether of blood or not) and since-"

"You're not going," he said firmly, lips pressed flatly together in disapproval.

I paused in my work and pondered over his words for a full minute, letting them roll about my brain from corner to corner and crevice to crevice. "Hnnn," I droned thoughtfully and continued to drag out my thoughts, mostly because I liked the way it annoyed him more with each lengthened minute in which I haven't replied yet.

Finally when I judged enough time have passed and his eyebrow started twitching from annoyance, I leant back and crossed my arms in front of my chest. "Indeed," I voiced and watched as his agitation went up another level from my vague response. Is it cruel for a servant to have this much fun in annoying their master?

"Why?" I asked.

My stepfather's reply was more childish than I thought possible for him. "Because I say so," he insisted.

"And here I was thinking that it's because you're worried that I'll steal all of the prince's attention from your precious Tianzi."

"Hmph, you're nothing but a lowly servant. Don't think so highly of yourself. What qualities does a servant have that a refined lady's cannot be better? "

"Well, a refined lady wouldn't know how to wash clothes and iron dresses as well as I do."

Gao Hai threw his head back and laughed loudly. His laughter always sounded strange because of his pitched voice. I like to compare it to a sheep's bleat or a goat trying to cough up something vile. "Yes, indeed, it is very widely known that Prince Lelouch is looking for a cleaning maid for his wife."

"Indeed, indeed. Then I am the perfect wife for him then," I explained, continuing his sarcasm.

Apparently, only Gao Hai was allowed to be sarcastic in this household and he instantly stopped laughing and glared at me so coldly that the room's temperature must have plummeted a good dozen degrees.

His tone became serious. "You are not going. I shall not have anybody know that I have a servant and slave as a step-daughter. I will not have people know that I have such an unpleasant young woman under my care. Whatever will they think of my sweet Tianzi then? They might start thinking that she will resemble you in the future."

"Oh, we can't have that now, can we?"

"No," he sniffed and then drew himself to his full height, regaining composure. "No, we can't so you will not attend the ball and that's final. You will stay at home." Then with a swish of his long robes, he left the laundry room and sashayed back to where he lounges before lunch. Have you ever seen a man sashay? Yes? No? Well, I assure you that you've never seen a sashay quite like my step-father's where the hips swing side to side in a just about borderline demure manner that you wonder if it was a woman in front of you or a man.

Whilst others get rather unnerved by his funny walk – which, I guess, was necessary in order to drag those heavy robes around elegantly – but I have seen it so often that it actually appears normal to me. Sometimes, when I have seen Gao Hai walked past me too many times in one day, I would blink at Xingke's rear end and wonder when he would start wriggling his hips in his walk. I'm sure he'll look better doing it since his long hair would make it all the more feminine looking.

I shook Gao Hai's funny walk from my head and went back to my laundry, determined to focus on more important things. Not going to the ball? Well, that would be troublesome. How else was I suppose to get my unlimited pizza? I smiled or smirked or whatever I did whenever my face pulls a happy expression. Hn, stay at home? But, then again, how would he know whether I did or not?

I laughed as plans started to form in my mind.

* * *

On the night of the ball, Gao Hai approached me just as Tianzi finished getting into her dress. Behind him, XingKe followed with his usual stoic face. I liked Xingke, he was grumpy and serious and his face was as limited in displaying emotions as my own but he gets things done efficiently and quietly without beating about the bush or muttering strings of complaints and he definitely does not sashay (which truly is a disappointment as it would be most entertaining to see).

He appeared behind Gao Hai and then move to clasp my shoulder but since I like him, I didn't resist. He was only doing his job.

"Come," Gao Hai ordered and swished his robes about as he left the room. Xingke turned me around smoothly and then let go of his grip on my shoulder, trusting me to walk obediently. And who was I to break that trust? So I walked with him hovering behind me like a ghost. Like this, we followed my stepfather through the hallways.

Gao Hai opened the door that led to the tiny staircase that connected to the attic. Xianglin suddenly appeared with a tray consisting of a plate of bread, a jug of water and a glass to drink it with.

"Inside," Gao Hai said and Xingke gently pushed me inside. Xianglin, pulling an apologetic face, placed the tray in my hands and then Gao Hai, with a victorious grin, closed the door.

CLICK went the lock and as I stood there in darkness, I heard Gao Hai taunt, "I have said that you will not be attending the ball, have I not? Xianglin, make sure she does not get out until I return."

I sighed dramatically and with my patience thinning, I set down the tray so it rested by my feet and called out, "Let me out. This is foolish and I'm going to miss my free pizza at this rate."

I heard footsteps walking away and a few minutes afterwards, I climbed up the creaky stairs with my tray of food and peered out the dusty window. I watched as Tianzi and Gao Hai climbed into their carriage and XingKe, with the flick of the reins, drove it out of the drive, out the gates and into the streets. Well there goes my fantastic plan of going to the ball via clinging to the carriage roof…

"I'm sorry, C.C.. I'm only following my orders," shouted Xianglin from downstairs.

I turned around, deposited my tray on a stray table and made my way back to the stairs, admiring the way my feet leave footprints in the dusty floor. I wonder if there was any of the old forgotten furniture up here could be of any use anymore or have they became homely castles for nothing but dust, mice and spiders.

I sat on the top step of the creaky stairs and balance my chin in my hands, eyes glaring at the door at the bottom of the stairs. "Xianglin, open the door," I ordered as calmly and coldly as I could.

"I would love to," explained Xianglin and I could hear her leaning on her side of the door, "but I can't. You have to understand, I'll get fired if I let you out."

I rolled my eyes. Oh dear, oh my, she'll get fired, oh boohoo. Oh no, we cannot have that, can we? Getting fired would mean being separated from Miss Tianzi. Oh how could Xianglin possibly survive without a sweet, shy albino mistress to serve? Oh how indeed?

Hmph! Sure, it didn't matter if a fellow servant was locked up in the attic and suffering with pizza withdrawal symptoms because as long as Xianglin gets to stay with her little Miss Tianzi, that's all that mattered.

I snorted, loudly, to show Xianglin my opinion of her at that moment. The Chinese cook didn't respond and I was left to imagine her being speechless from guilt and the guilt will gnaw at her so badly that she will want to throw herself to my feet upon my release and beg for forgiveness – to which I will respond with 'make me a thousand pizzas and you will be forgiven'.

Aaaa, pizza, how I wish to have you beside me right now – to have the melted cheese dribbling off the luscious tomato sauce and into my mouth, to have the flatbread on my tongue and let the taste slowly dissolve and spread and…

I sighed and reached up to massage my temples. Imagination was getting me nowhere. I have to get out of here by myself. I climbed to my feet and walked to the window. There was no lock on the window frame so I gave it a test shove. It creaked and my feet slid under me as I tried to push the window open but it did not budge an inch.

Huffing, I considered throwing a chair at it. Shall I throw the white footstool or the more expensive mahogany dinner chair? Hmm, decisions, decisions, oh so many decisions….which one can I lift? Which one would have a more dramatic effect when sent sailing through glass and into the garden below? Which would fly further? Which cost more? Oh so many decisions…

TWEET TWEET

Tweeting? Am I imagining things? Never mind, that coffee table would look awfully pretty soaring through a window. Yes, I think I'll…

TWEEEET

"Hm?" I questioned aloud. Have I gone so mad now that I am imagining birds where there wasn't any?

Something dove down from the beams above and flapped its wings haphazardly in my face. I spluttered and smacked it aside.

"Oh!" I gasped, spitting out red feathers and sneezing lightly, "You vile bird. How dare you attack your mistress?!"

The bird huffed, hopping about the edge of a cherry-coloured coffee table and preened his feathers like having feathers suddenly shoved in one's face should be considered an honour, not an insult.

Once I finally finished picking feathers from my face, I moved forward and ran a finger down Geass's back. He turned his beak the other way, obviously still huffing at me but then on my second stroke, he remembered who fed him every day for the past many years and he turned his head back into my hand, crooning his forgiveness.

"How did you get in here?"

The silly bird chirped, tilted his head from side to side and flew off to peck at the bread Xianglin left me. I glared at him and poked him with a finger. "Is this not the part where you turn into a fairy and claim to be my fairy godmother and grant me three wishes – the third of which being the one I sacrificed to set you free with?"

The bird stopped pecking at the bread and turned to me, head tilting from side to side inquisitively then chirped.

"Hm," I said and tapped at his beak, "I am now mad enough to try to hold a conversation with a bird, eh?"

He flicked his head away from my hand and then, dangling pieces of bread crust in his beak, he swooped into the air and up to a pile of furniture where he made a big fuss.

"What now?" I asked as I approached the pile. I was rather unwilling to let him go. A night stuck in the attic alone was not particularly appealing to me.

Geass chirped loudly, trilling and singing so loudly that it started to sound like he was celebrating.

"Stop being so noisy, you silly bird," I snapped and froze when his beak formed a smile.

A smile? On a bird? Is that even possible? Have I got completely insane that I am now seeing things? What next? I start singing songs with birds and mice start making me dresses fit for a ball?

"Geass?" I asked and reached out a hand hesitantly.

No, it was most positively a smile. A victorious and cruelly twisted turn of his beak that sent chills down my spine. Maybe that was his intent – freezing me on the spot.

He gave another chirp and lunged for the rope that held the pile of furniture together, snapping his beak over it.

SNIP and it was cut – an impossible act for such a small beak.

I watched with horror as the rope fell down and the tall pile of furniture creaked. I was not even able to move or scream before everything started sliding out of place.

Geass trilled.

I stared.

The furniture fell.

And all went black.

* * *

My body hurt and somewhere I could hear Xianglin's anxious and rather desperate cries.

"C.C.! What have you done? Can you hear me?" she shouted but it all sounded so far away like an echo bouncing down many caverns before it reached me. "Don't move! I'm coming for you. Don't move."

Something hit my face and continued to smack on my cheeks.

"Don't die! Wake up. Help! I need to find help! No! Don't die!" Xianglin cried. "Stay away from the light!"

"She is rather noisy, isn't she?" another voice said, amused and rather sarcastic.

"How cruel of you to say that when there is actually somebody who cared enough about me to fret upon my possible death," I droned and opened my eyes, squinting as light invaded them. When they finally got use to the brightness, I realised I was in a hallway that I have no recollection of entering – in fact, I do not even recognise it.

White flooring stretched as far as the eyes can see and paintings decorating ever inch of the walls, it was most certainly not a hallway of Gao Hai's house.

"Xianglin?" I asked, confused when I could not see her anywhere yet, strangely, I can feel some invisible force continuously hitting my cheeks as if she was still smacking away at them in attempt to revive me.

"Wake up!" Xianglin's cries echoed through the hall.

I rolled my eyes and replied, "I am awake."

A voice chuckled behind me. "She cannot hear you, my dear."

"Hm? Really?" I commented and turned around, wondering if this was heaven or hell or whatever it is and how long must I endure this invisible smacking on my face.

I did a double-take when I saw the owner of the other voice then pulled a grin, "I must be completely mad now -I'm actually imagining my pet bird talking back to me."

"Or perhaps you're special," Geass chirped back then proceed to peck on that bit of crust he had dangling in his beak before.

I replied smoothly, "Maybe I am, maybe I'm not – who knows?"

He blinked his beady black eyes at me and then fluffed up his feathers as if taking a deep breath.

…

Then he went back to pecking the damn bit of bread.

Getting rather irritated now that not only could I not go to the ball where my lovely pizzas are but also that I am left to deal with an annoying bird whilst being stuck in some unknown gallery, I demanded, "Where am I?"

"Oh, I don't quite know myself," the bird chirped in between pecks.

Again, I blinked at him then I crossed my arms and observed him with a rather impatient stare.

The bird stopped his eating, ducked his head under a wing and preened himself as if deigning himself rather too important to talk to such a lowly being.

"How come I never knew you talked?" I asked, walking forward now. I was rather hungry for I have fasted myself in preparation of consuming countless amount of pizza at the ball. However, I am obviously not going to the ball now that I am dead and there was an annoying bird here which I would gladly carve and eat right now. Strange, why am I still hungry when I am dead…

Geass gave a few chirps, hopped back a few steps and then started his narration, "I was actually a nun."

I paused in my thoughts of bird-stew to insert the appropriate comment. "A nun?"

"Yes, a nun. I was cursed to become a bird by a witch – or was it a warlock? – and to live all eternity, never dying, in this form."

I could not resist rolling my eyes. Oh, a sob story! As if being locked in an attic and being murdered by a bird (who was not as sweet as I originally thought it was) was not awful enough, now I have to suffer with hearing the long narration of a sob story who, boo hoo, was an orphan, suffered famine and abuse and torture and horrid men sashaying and…whatever vile events that could happen upon a person. Aa, this must be hell. Maybe that is why I'm subjected to this torture.

"Are you listening to me?" the bird snapped, clicking his – I mean, HER – beak together irritably.

"Hnnn, possibly," I answered, twiddling a strand of hair around my forefinger. "So why did you kill me? I fed you lots of breadcrumbs, surely that was treating you nice enough to evade death."

The bird shuffled on its feet, "well…"

I huffed impatiently. Who could blame me? I was hungry and pizza depraved. "Can we skip to the important parts?"

The bird's feathers roses, cleared annoyed that, after so many years of being unable to communicate with a human being and finally getting the chance to, her long prepared narration (which would have be most fascinating and interesting if I had any interest in it and was not trying to revive from the dead and attend a ball which I'm on the verge of being late for) was going to be cut short and wasted on me. "Fine! I've had enough of dilly-dallying in my time as an immortal. The deal is: the witch's powers and curse have weakened over the years and I think I can end this curse by taking somebody else's place in death."

"Think? Well, that is not very comforting for one to hear. What made you believe that you'll succeed and I won't die?"

The bird raised his – HER! Oh this is quite confusing! – beak up high in a snooty manner, "I've tried this many times and with each death, I could feel the curse around me straining to keep me in its grasp. It shall break for sure this time."

"And you chose me? How very kind of you to choose to kill the girl who fed you, cared for you and sheltered you."

"Hmph, well the deed is done and I'm going to take your place in death," the bird said snippily. I had to suppress the urge to step on her with my heel and squish her like the furniture did me. Let's see how Sister Immortal would like being knocked over and flattened by something many times her weight.

But I didn't because all of this was madness and I'm going to wake up any time now to find it all some strange imagination my bored mind conjured up from being bored stiff in the dusty attic.

Sister Immortal was as impatient for it all to end as I was, it seemed, as she unfolded her wings and clicked her beak. "Now, if I succeed, there could be some side effects to this but there truly is nothing I could do with it. You shall just have to bear it."

I couldn't help asking, "What side-effects?"

"Well," she clucked, "breaking the curse would mean that all the magic that held it together in the first place will be released and become stray. You might have it running about your body for some time before it disappears. It might be painful, it might come in handy for you, it might play with you or it might kill you. I'm not too sure of the details but they wouldn't last too long – possibly until midnight."

"And if you are fail?" I could not see any reason not to go along with her plan since, either way, I will still get out of here. It did not matter where 'here' was - the path to death or the wild imaginings of an insane – for I'll be out of here if I complete this foolish task, yes?

"If I fail then you die and I return back to the living world still confined in this accursed form but if it succeeds then I'll die in your place and you return back to that broken body of yours and deal with whatever is to happen next."

The invisible slaps on my face disappeared and somewhere far away I could hear Xianglin wail and imagine her washing my face with her tears. "Hn, fun," I drawled and barely managed to draw in another breath when Geass shot off the floor and, like a red arrow, flew into my body.

"Returning to a broken body, how fun," I muttered as everything turned black once again.

* * *

Xianglin gasped and with a joyous cry, clutched onto me tighter as I coughed awake, feeling like every bone in my body was broken. What do you know? Geass's plan worked and I'm alive. Now let's hope this side-effect thing does not include me watching men sashay about in front of me.

"C.C.! Oh god! I thought you died," Xianglin cried, clinging to me so hard it hurts.

"Let go, it hurts," I mumbled into her shoulder and then, to my surprise, I actually had enough strength to push her away.

"Don't move, I'll get a doct…" her words died as I climbed to my feet, my body feeling energised as if I just climbed from bed after a long delicious sleep. "You're not… hurt? But there was blood and…"

Her eyes widened to the size of dinner plates as she and I both watched as the dirt and grime disappeared from my skin and my hair regained its bright green colouring like magic was happening in front of our very eyes.

"Hn? Magic eh?" I whispered, marvelling at the way all the bruises and cuts were healing and the way my skin was glowing like it never touched the anything except the most delicate of items. "Must be the side-effects she mentioned."

At that point, I have completely forgotten about Xianglin who was staring at me horrified as my servant dress burned red in colour.

"I'll need a ball-gown," I said as picked the edges of my glowing skirt and gasped as I felt a corset bind about my waist and my skirts bloomed like a flower opening downwards until my legs were hidden underneath layers of soft red tiered ruffles. I lifted a hand and with a growing grin, admired the way the sleeves of my work-dress turn into pure red cloth, so unblemished and fine that it could only be found on the finest ball gowns ever made.

"I would like my hair arranged," I said and like an invisible maid, the magic lifted my long green locks and coiled them about my head, leaving a long strand of hair on either side of my face to frame it and give it a sense of delicacy.

"W-What's happening?" Xianglin stammered and I remembered that she was there.

I smiled in her direction and she gasped like she saw a ghost. I laughed at her reaction and lifted the ends of my billowing skirts. "I want slippers to dance in."

And we both watched as red slippers flash into existence on my feet.

Then with a swish of my skirts and my voice still ringing in laughter, I stepped down the stairs of the attic and made my way out of the house. "And now, I'm going to the ball."

Not once, did Xianglin stop me and part of me wondered if she was too terrified or too shocked to follow me or was it part of this 'side-effect magic' that was holding her in place.

It did not matter since I was out of the house, part of my way down the drive and felt like a queen.

No.

I correct myself.

I felt like a witch - for a witch possessed the power to curse and magic all, even a queen.

Aa, I was a witch who used to be covered with the grey and silvery ashes of a fireplace.

Yes, I am most definitely a witch.

A grey witch

* * *

END OF CHAPTER THREE

* * *

**Code_Geass_Lover:** Thanks. I'm quite into writing this now so it might get updated regularly (even though there's only about 2-3 chapters left)

**KatYen:** Your review made me blush! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing and I'm am most happy that you liked the fic so. Thank you! PS – Gao Hai is the Eunuch that Xingke was guarding at the start of R2.

**~Anonymus:** I find it hard to write C.C. and not have some humour thrown in somewhere. But sometimes her style of humour can be somewhat subtle and I'm unsure if readers find it interesting so I'm always glad when you say you find the story funny. It makes me blush, giggle like a little girl getting praised and be so much more motivated to write. Many thanks.

**KiKi Hayashi**


	4. Cinderella's Ball

**Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass and the story of Cinderella. They belong to their respective owners.**

**Apologies to my beta-readers for not letting you read/correct this first.**

* * *

**Chapter Four –Cinderella's Ball**

* * *

"I would like a carriage to take me to the ball," I announced for possibly the fourth time and, again, nothing happened. Furrowing my brows and sighing loudly, I put my hands on my hips and glared at the air about me. What was wrong with this magic? Was it me? Am I saying the words wrong? What must I do? Perform a chant? Abracadabra? Open Sesame? Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo? All Hail Britannia?

Oh, this is rather confusing. Simply saying what I wanted worked in the creation of my ball gown so naturally it should also work for creating a carriage to take me to where my precious pizza is.

I dug my heel into the ground idly – reluctant to walk any further than my present spot because the heels of these shoes are ridiculously high and my feet are not used to tottering around as if I was on tip-toes.

"Well, this is a predicament," I sighed, twirling a strand of hair around my finger and staring about my feet.

"I would like a carriage to take me to the ball," I tried again and ended with the same result. All I could conclude was that a carriage was beyond this side-effect magic's capabilities. Perhaps I need to obtain something to turn into a carriage? A horse? Some mice? A pumpkin?

"Oh no. This would not work at all. You mean to tell me that I was gifted this fine dress just so that I could walk to the ball in it?" I asked, lifting the ends of my red skirts and peering at the shoes that covered my feet. I wrinkled my nose. It was more possible that I fall and break my neck in a ditch than manage halfway to the castle in these shoes.

"Milady!" Somebody cried and I looked up to see a handsome carriage rumbling towards me, led by a pair of stunning grey horses with the decorative plumes on their heads being so big that I wonder how the driver see past them to drive. "Sorry we were late."

It took me until the carriage grind to a halt in front of me to realise that he was addressing me.

"Good Evening, milady," the driver greeted, "I'm sorry we're late. The directions to your house were not very clear but we're here now nonetheless."

I blinked up at him then, like a proper lady, folded my hands in front of me and straightened my back. "And you are?"

The man was puzzled, "we're the royal carriage that was sent to escort you to the royal ball. It was explained on all invites that we will be driving all guests unless we were informed not to. Have you replied and declined the offer of our services?"

"Hm?" I sounded and chuckled inwardly. It would seem that Gao Hai, in all his frantic preparation to get his beloved Tianzi looking picture perfect, had forgotten to reply that he would be taking his own carriage. Oh silly, silly step-father. In your haste to show off your new polished carriage, you had forgotten this handsome one that was coming and now it shall be my perfect ride to the ball which you so hated me to attend.

I emitted a low chuckle at my step-father's foolishness and the driver and footman shared a look as if wondering what was so humorous with the situation. When my laughter finished I lifted my chin haughtily and raised an eyebrow at the footman. "Well? Am I expected to open the carriage door myself?"

Floundering slightly, the footman rushed forward and with his help and the delicate swish of my skirts, I was on the carriage and waiting expectantly for them to start driving off.

"But, milady, do you not have a chaperone?" the footman asked, holding the door open and waiting for somebody to come out of the house to accompany me.

"Oh? A chaperone? Why would I ever need one? To ensure my safety on this ride and make sure you do not whisk me to who knows where? Well, gentlemen, I would certainly like to see you try." I smirked, pulling the corners of my lips up and I allowed some of that witch-feeling I had before to rush back into my body and dance in my eyes. "Now, onwards please. My pizza is waiting."

* * *

The castle was much larger up close than I expected and I could not help but crane my head up, letting the back of hair touch the high collar of my dress, and marvel at the way the towers seem to touch the clouds.

Aa, such a grand and large place! They should most surely be able to afford to serve only the very best of pizzas.

My footman extended a hand and helped me out of the carriage and I grimaced at the prospect of having to walk in these wretched slippers again. Why must dancing slippers be so impractically designed? How exactly does squeezing one's toes into tiny shoes and balancing your entire weight on heels several inches high possibly make you any better at dancing than flat-heeled shoes? In fact, you will end up looking ridiculous for you will be spending more time floundering, wobbling and clinging onto your partner for dear life than you would twirling around the dance-floor elegantly.

Nonetheless, pizza was at my destination and I cannot possibly kick these wretched things off now. So I guess I shall just have to pick up the ends of my skirts and…. Wait a minute…. Stairs?!

I stood there and stared at the steps with a horror bubbling in my stomach then took a deep breath. It turned out that being a lady of high society not only require grace, beauty and money but also patience, a set of internal organs that could withstand the crushing bindings of a fashionable corset and feet made of steel.

* * *

Urgh! I missed out 'stamina and muscles of an ox' in my previous equation for a proper lady.

Climbing to the top of the stairs was harder than I thought. The stairs themselves were not of a spectacular number and had I been in my usual simple dresses, I could have ascended them with the ease and grace of a deer. Aa, but I was a lady tonight – not a maid. My feet smarted from walking in these shoes and ball-gowns were heavier on the body than I originally imagined – they also seem to grow impossibly heavier with each step.

I paused at the top, completely ignoring the way everybody must swerve around me in order to get past, and stared enviously at the women who cleverly brought partners with them - for they could at least lean on their partner's arm and thus lift some of their weight of their own feet.

Hmph, if only you, my dear audience in my head, could materialise. Then I could have somebody to lean on but as it is, I shall just have to find somebody else.

A young man stood nearby, alone, and looked very much like an abandoned puppy. When I looked over, he smiled politely and somewhat sheepishly. Determined to get myself some arm candy until I could find a seat to rest in, I walked over slowly.

My slow pace must have came across as demure and shy (when, in fact, it was because my feet was officially at war with me and I must force them forward in order to move a single step) as he stopped leaning on the wall and eyed me with interest.

When I was a few steps away, he came forward and worriedly gazed at me. "Is there something the matter, Mis-"

"As a matter of fact, yes," I answered, cutting him off impatiently, "my feet hurt from these new shoes so kindly allow me to lean my weight on you until I find a chair and the food table." With that, I slipped arm in his. He spluttered and was mostly too shocked to resist when I leant against him. I managed to drag him a good few feet before he regained his senses and steadied his arm.

I frowned. It must be because I was new to this arm leaning business for there was hardly any difference in the weight on my feet.

"Milady, um…." He stammered, blushing brightly. Aa, the shy boyish type – I'm sure many of the mature ladies here would be only too happy to coo at him tonight.

I adjusted my grip on his arm and tried this weight-adjusting thing again but failed no matter what position I adopted. "Yes?"

"Well, we only just met and I am truly honoured that you have taken to me so quickly but is this position not too…. Friendly?"

I pursed my lips but did not loosen my grip. "Oh? So you would not object to this if we were friends?"

"Um…No?" he tried and almost stumbled when I started pulling him across the hall again. This food table was elusive indeed. I have past artwork, vases, scores of ladies and gentlemen and countless dancers but I have yet to find this table which holds the item I adventured this far for - pizza.

"Very well, I am C.C. and you are?"

"Rivalz Cardemonde."

I almost tripped over my own feet. Cardemonde was not a wealthy family and neither was it famous but it was widely known that their son was among the Prince Lelouch's circle of friends. I could not believe that I have managed to loop arms with somebody with connections to a prince!

"Hn? Rivalz?" I murmured and then shrugged as I realised that it did not matter if he was a Cardemonde or friendly with a prince. I was going to ditch him once I find my pizza and he was merely an arm for me to cling upon. "Since we know each other on first name basis then we must be friends." I gave him a smile and he became both shy and rather scared - like I was going to eat him or something along those lines. Was I truly that terrifying?

"And friends can loop arms, no?" I laughed. He pulled his lips back and forced a smile on his face, tentatively wondering if he could escape from my grasp.

Unfortunately, for him, he remained on my arm for a further ten minutes before I finally spotted the food table. I promptly dropped his arm, bobbed a quick curtsey and with a wave of my arm, abandoned him on the spot. "Goodbye, good evening. Have a nice dance and try not to get eaten by the girls."

Aa, pizza! Here I come!

…oh wait…

Pudding!

I stared at the table. There were so many different dishes (mostly finger food) that even I, someone with the sole intention of coming for pizza, could not help but stare at all the food and be very tempted to try some. I inched towards the desserts, tilting my head to see how reflective the glaze on the puddings and cakes were and how intricately designed the decorative chocolate looked.

Maybe… maybe I could just eat one...

I reached for the small yellow pudding in front of me.

SWIPE

I blinked. My fingers met thin air and the pudding cup was nowhere to be seen.

"Lloyd! How could you?! The young lady was reaching for that one!" A woman's voice chided but her white haired companion shrugged and dug his silver spoon into the pudding cup.

"But, Cecile, I saw it first," reasoned the man, tucking a spoonful of pudding into his mouth and his face almost melted into pure bliss. It only took a few moments for him to finish the cup of pudding and by then I had regained my senses and purpose. Pizza! Pizza only! No desserts! Why would I want desserts to fill up crevices of my stomach when I could lodge pizza there!

"My apologies," the white haired man said, depositing his spoon and empty pudding cup into the tray of a nearby waiter, "It was rude of me to steal your sweet dessert. Could you possibly forgive me? Perhaps I can offer to be your dance partner for the next few turns and…"

I waved his suggestion away with a 'tch'. "No thank you. Please go dance with your lady friend," I said.

He peered at me, puzzled as if he could not believe somebody would actually turn down an offer to dance with him, then turned to his friend and smoothly offered her his hand.

Why would I do something as foolish as dancing? So bothersome and it required too much energy.

I turned, wanting to dive right into my pizza devouring session but stopped when I saw Gao Hai staring at me from across the food table.

"C.C.!" He exclaimed, fan snapping shut irritably.

I blinked blankly at him then looked around me to see if guards will come and drag me out now that I had been spotted but I could not find any or at least, none that I could discern as guards – everyone was dressed so richly that it all started to hurt my eyes actually.

"Excuse me?" I tried, turning back to my stepfather.

His harsh expression slipped and he eyed me up and down, looking oddly confused. "C.C.?"

Why was he confused? Why did he say my name as if he didn't quite recognise… me..

Ooooh! I see. He was not sure anymore. My blank expression and peering around must have looked like I was a stranger, wondering whom he was addressing and my answer to his first cry of my name caused him further confusion.

Hmmm? Well this would be most amusing, yes? What is this? You say I should pretend not to know him and continue acting innocent? I am flattered. Do I honestly look like that good an actress that I could pull this off? Why are you nodding? To think that you are encouraging me to do something as immoral as lying…

"C.C.?" tried Gao Hai again.

I blinked at him. "Me?"

He narrowed his eyes and then reached across the table and snatched at one of the locks of hair that hung at the sides of my face.

"Excuse me?!" I gasped. Tortured feet was not enough? Now it was my hair's turn?

He fingered the strands critically. "It's not grey or black."

"Of course it's not. Why would it be? Now unhand my hair this instant," I demanded.

He released my locks and ran another critical eye down my outfit before fluttering his fan to his lips and inclining his head in an apologetic manner. "my sincerest apologies, I thought you were somebody I knew."

I smoothed down my hair and glared at him haughtily. "You mean to say that this somebody has enough money and time to be as well dressed as I?"

"No, of course not. It was foolish of me to have mistaken you for her." He said and I had to grin. Having my stepfather talking to me in such an apologetic manner was an experience that was new and unexpectedly pleasing.

He gazed at me sceptically and suspiciously before somebody called his name and he swept away, disappearing into the sea of guests.

I smirked victoriously and flicked my long hair over my shoulder before reaching for my first slice of pizza. I managed to confuse Gao Hai without lying. I do not have time or money to become this well dressed but I do have magic and that was not lying, right? Only… not disclosing the truth.

Aa, the taste of the cheese and tomato blending together. Aa, the texture of the flatbread against my tongue. Aa…. Bliss…mmmmm…. Urgh! Feet hurt!

I licked my lips, clearing them of any tomato sauce that may have remained there then looked down at my feet with a scowl. This was getting rather tiresome.

I glanced around me and then when I was sure nobody was paying me any specific attention, stepped out of my red slippers and nudged them until they disappeared under the pristine white tablecloth that decorated the table. I sighed and wriggled my toes on the cool marble flooring – much better and my dress was even long enough to hide my bare feet.

Now, back to business. I have until midnight to devour as many pizzas as I can cram into my stomach and I am not going to waste any more time.

* * *

I was nibbling slowly and delicately on my tenth – or was it eleventh? Twelfth? Hmm, I think I lost count – slice of pizza, taking my time chewing it. You see, I had finished all the pizzas that were out on display and this single slice was to satisfy me until more arrives.

I connected eyes with a nearby waiter and gave a nod towards the empty pizza platter before me, silently enquiring when my next serving will come. To my annoyance, the waiter shrugged, failed to receive my enquiry and turned to top up a gentleman's flute of red wine.

Hmph, I never expected the castle staff to be of such low standards where they could not read a guest's wishes like a book.

Oh? What is this? You imply that I too do not possess such an ability? That, if Gao Hai invited guests for dinner, I would not be able to read their desires? Hm, true but…

"Excuse me?" a voice questioned behind me and I cut my thought process short to turn around. A raven-haired boy clothes in rich black clothes and piercing violet eyes smiled at me.

I swallowed my mouthful of pizza and urged the clogs in my head to start working. I recognise this boy from somewhere…but where…

"Would you by any chance go by the name, C.C.?" he asked.

Was this another trick from Gao Hai? Sending me a pretty boy to see if I would respond to that name?

I scanned the crowds around me, expecting to see Gao Hai's white painted face spying at me from his hiding place behind someone's skirts.

"Miss?" asked the pretty boy, his face breaking into a small amused grin that had the effect of making me out of the loop and ridiculously silly. I swallowed the last of my pizza then licking on my fingertips, finally remembered who this pretty boy was – his painted portraits were everywhere mostly because he was dazzlingly handsome.

"Your highness," I addressed, bobbing a curtsey. Oh great, a royalty! I had a hard enough time acting like a proper lady in front of normal lords and ladies and now I am expected to do the same in front of a prince?!

I wished my pizza will come sooner so that I can cut this interaction short. Why was he talking to me in the first place?

"You seem very fond of our pizzas," he noted, eyeing the empty pizza platter beside me.

"It was delicious," I explained with a shrug and then diverted my eyes to the lady sneaking up behind him. "Your lady friend seems eager to have your attention, your highness."

"Lelouch!" the blonde lady cried and flung her arms about his neck so that she was embracing him from behind "Why are you hiding here? Come dance with me."

The prince sighed and did not seem to notice her fingers that started drawing coy circles on his eveningwear. "I thought you were dancing with Rivalz, Milly."

"Oh, I was but Nina was being such a wallflower that I just had to get Rivalz to drag her to the dance floor – how else was she to show off that pretty pick dress I picked out for her? I was also thinking of dancing with Kallen – because breaking the norm of only dancing with the opposite sex is always a fun game – but Gino would not let relinquish her hand to me and blatantly refused when I asked to cut in on them."

"And Kallen allowed him to imprison her hand?"

Milly laughed, "No, of course not. She kicked him in the knee, announced that she was not and 'will never ever be' his and then tried to march off – all with a very pretty and vibrant blush on her face. Now stop changing the subject and twirl me around the dance floor."

"I would but…" the prince directed his gaze to me and Milly noticed me for the first time.

"Evening," Milly greeted with a big smile that showed a neat row of perfect teeth, "can I borrow him for a dance?"

Prince Lelouch pulled an expression that asked me to save him.

Save him?

Hmm, interesting.

I turned around, casually leant my bottom lightly on the food table and, with a smile, answered, "of course. Please go ahead, Miss Milly."

Lelouch spluttered, aghast by my betrayal and unwillingly allowed himself to be dragged away by the blonde.

I did not know what he wanted me from me or why he wanted to initiate conversation with me but my pizza was coming and I am not leaving this spot.

* * *

"Still eating pizza?" the prince asked , once again appearing out of nowhere.

I considered bobbing him another curtsey but then I realised that it would not look too appealing with a pizza sitting in my hand and the cheesy strings scattered upon my lips. I was also unwilling to set down my pizza so with all my reasoning to back me up, I did not perform a curtsey and focused on finishing my pizza.

"Are you ignoring me?" he queried.

Why was he talking to me? Go dance with pretty girls, you pretty boy. This maid have pizza (no, no, make that plural - 'Pizzas' - hmm much better) to finish.

"Miss C.C.?"

I licked the cheese off my lips and finally turned around to face him. "It is awfully rude to reply with food in one's mouth, yes? So why must you keep expecting me to respond when I'm in the process of eating?"

He grinned at me and bowed elegantly, "A pleasure to finally meet you, Miss C.C.. I am Lelouch Vi Brit-"

He stopped his words midway when he noticed that I was not listening anymore but had returned my focus on my pizza. He chuckled and swept away a lock of hair that was hanging into his eyes. "I am comforted to see that you are as your letters illustrated – a being that have little regards to manners."

Ara? Now here is something that snared my attention. "Letters?" I asked.

"You are the owner of a bird named Geass, correct?"

He knew Geass? How? Did Lulu tell somebody else of our exchange? Perhaps he is a brother that she failed to mention in the letters. But then again, she never revealed much in her letters. All I could glean was that she doted upon her younger sister. If Prince Lelouch was Lulu's brother then would that mean I had been writing to a princess? But I've never heard of a Princess Lulu before…

Though the emperor does have a harem of wives and I wouldn't be surprised if Lulu was some recently discovered daughter of his. A daughter he conceived with some random lady on some equally random night some random amount of years ago and had since, randomly, cut off contact with until she, randomly, died recently and, in her will, randomly stated to poor Lulu that Charles was her true father and she must seek him at once and…. Oh this sentence was getting far too long and I lost track of how many 'random's I had used. I had obviously been reading too many romance novels from Xianglin's scared secret stash…

"How are you sure I'm the owner?" I asked suspiciously and peering over his shoulder, expecting to see the violet-dressed, raven-haired young woman, who was my imagination of Lulu, hovering behind him. Perhaps Prince Lelouch was some sort of overprotective brother who wished to test the personalities of Lulu's friends to ensure his sister would not be hurt in any way.

"You mentioned you liked pizza in your letters and I have noticed that you have yet to leave the pizza platter alone."

I chuckled at him then teased, "you say it all as if our dear prince had been keeping track of everyone who had been at the food table."

"As a matter of fact, I have."

Again, I laughed at him for the very idea of him doing such a thing was absurd. I reached to pluck another slice of delicious pizza from the platter. "Well, my dear prince, I am honoured of your special attention on me but sadly, I am not interested in keeping it. Do avert it to the young lady behind you who is dying to ask you for a dance."

The young lady in question blushed brightly at my words and when Prince Lelouch turned to face her, blushed brighter and courageously stammered, "L-Lulu…um.. Your Highness, Lelouch, can I…"

"He would love to dance with you, my dear," I answered for him and the prince mostly positively glared at me before turning back to smiling gently at the young lady.

"Yes, Shirley. I would be honoured to dance with you," he replied smoothly and guided her beautifully to the dance floor.

Aa, peace and quiet again. Oh look, fresh pizza!

…

…

…

Wait, did she call him 'Lulu'?

* * *

END OF CHAPTER FOUR

* * *

**Code_Geass_Lover:** Noooo! I should be the one feeling special because you left a review.

**KatYen**: Awww, you are truly too adorable for words! The way you write is very mature and I was convinced you were older until you hinted your real age, after which, I was going very impressed. You, my dear, will develop to be a grand author one day if you were to write.

**KiKi Hayashi**


	5. Cinderella's Dance

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Code Geass or Cinderella. They belong to their respective owners.

**Again, apologies for my dear beta-readers for not allowing you to read this beforehand.**

**Who asked for romance?** I tried upping the romance a notch but C.C. being C.C. was a chore to make romantic – I feel she's more likely to tease and poke fun of romance more often than not. I'm not a very romantic writer so any comments, criticism and advice will be embraced with much love.

* * *

**Chapter Five – Cinderella's Dance**

* * *

When the prince next appeared beside me, I chewed on my pizza and looked at him from head to toe.

"Is something the matter?" asked the prince with that confident smile still upon his lips.

"You're Lulu," I said and took another inelegant bite off my pizza slice.

He watched me eat then reached down and picked up a napkin, which he immediately offered me. "I see you have finally figured it out. And are you the Miss C.C. who owns a greedy little red bird?"

I ignored his offered napkin and reached over to grab my own. He only looked 'mildly' annoyed. "Hm? Insulting somebody's pet is hardly a good way to make pleasant conversation. But the wretched bird is hardly in my good books now, so I don't particularly care what you describe him as."

"Is he here with you?"

"Oh no, SHE had much better things to do than live freely as a bird apparently." I licked my fingertips clean of pizza residue then picked up another napkin to wipe my moist fingers on. I changed the subject from the dreadful bird. "I must admit, I was not expecting my little pen-pal to be a prince."

He looked somewhat sheepish but disguised it elegantly by turning to pick a fresh glass of wine off the tray of a nearby waiter. "What were you expecting then? I would have thought that one could tell simply by the writing style and penmanship."

"Your handwriting was swirly and so tiny that I must squint to read your letters. And with such a girlish nickname as 'Lulu', what else was I to believe apart from it being written by the delicate hand of a sweet noble young lady with too much time on her hands?" I scoffed loudly and was slightly ticked when he only appeared amused by my unladylike behaviour.

I drew a teasing smirk across my lips and lifted a new pizza slice from the platter. "In fact, if we grow your hair long and fit you in a fashionable dress, my image of Lulu being a delicate young lady could still come true."

He spluttered into his wine and glared at me, an expression I was very happy to return.

"Lelouch!" a voice demanded behind us. We both turned to see a redhead in a yellow dress, which greatly flattered her bosom, pushed her way through the crowd to stand before us. Behind her, a tall blond - and dashing, might I add - young man followed with the smile on his face being so broad and sunny that I imagined it shining like a sun.

"Dance with me," the redhead hissed to my friend, the prince.

The blond bowed with a flourish. "Of course, Kallen, I would be glad to dance with a maiden as fair as-"

"Not you, Gino. I meant Lelouch." Kallen flushed red when the cheery young man only smiled dazzlingly at her response.

Gino cooed, "My Kallen is simply adorable when she acts tough."

"I am not yours! Never was, never is and never will be and to prove it, I shall dance with Lelouch thus forcing you to seek another to turn your attention to."

Lelouch watched the couple quarrel. He smoothly sidestepped so that he was right beside me. "I would love to dance, Kallen but this young lady asked me first."

I blinked. "I did?"

Lelouch gazed at me with eyes that asked me to help him. Should I or should I not? Hmm decisions, decisions…

Thankfully, I was saved by Milly who returned to wheedle another dance from Lelouch. She clapped her eyes on the Kallen's hands and squealed, "Kallen, my dear! You finally freed your imprison hand! It is frightfully boring here, is it not? I want to break the norm and dance with somebody other than handsome men but Suzaku refused to let Euphie dance with me, Shirley is hiding from me and Nina kept stepping on my toes. Come!" She posed theatrically and placed her left hand over her left cheek, spreading her fingers so that they posed about her left eye, pulling an evil smirk as she did so. "I, Milly Ashford, command you to dance with me!"

What a ridiculous and unnecessary pose! I fought to contain a snicker.

Kallen stared at Milly and her posing for a full minute.

Then she was shoved aside by Gino who loudly announced that Kallen was to dance with no one but himself.

"But you had her all night," Milly whined with a cute pout on her lips. Suddenly, she brightened as if a brilliant idea just came to her mind. I must admit that Miss Milly was turning out to be an interesting young lady. Aa, how I wish I served in her household instead of my stepfather's. It will certainly make my life of servitude seem much more interesting.

I felt something on my wrist and looked down to see the prince's hand clutching it tightly. He inched towards me and whispered without looking at me, "We will run for it when Milly makes her move."

We?

….

….We?

WE?!

I tried to snap my hands free from him. I refused to leave my pizza platter – not when a fresh one was brought out of the kitchens and its scent wafted through the air as the waiter brought it to the table.

"Let go!" I hissed, shaking my hand to get free but he held on regardless.

Our actions went unnoticed by the Milly-Kallen-Gino trio and but when Milly took some steps forward, slippers clicking down in a determined manner, I could not help but stop my struggle to watch. It was the battle of the blonds and it was interesting.

Milly connected her eyes with the much taller Gino. She raised her hand.

SMACK

Gino stared at her in surprise. "Did you just hit me with your glove?"

"Yes," the woman said with a smile, "Gino Weinberg, I challenge you to a duel for my fair Kallen Stadtfeld's hand in the next dance."

I laughed. Oh, this woman was the most wondrous of creatures! I must get myself fired by Gao Hai and seek employment in Ashford Manor!

Everybody ooh-ed and ah-ed over the entire scene – all very shocked that the daughter of such a prestigious family will act so… unladylike.

And Lelouch took that opportunity to tug at my hand once and before I could escape his grasp, ran like hell with me being dragged behind like a ragdoll.

"Why are we runnin- MY PIZZA!" I cried but he clamped a hand over my mouth and effectively kidnapped me from the magnificent ballroom where all were too busy focusing and clamouring over Milly's actions to notice my disappearance and that of Prince Lelouch's.

* * *

It did not take very long for the prince to run out of breath and doubling over to rest his hands on his knees. I pulled at my imprisoned wrist impatiently. How dare this fool drag me away from my pizza! Tonight was supposed to be all about pizza!

Oh, what time is it? I glared around me for a clock but this unlit dark corridor did not contain one. One minute closer to midnight was one minute less of my pizza session!

Eh? What do you mean I should be more concern of the prince? Ara, why are you having romantic thoughts in your head? The prince and I? Hmph, again I am amazed and flattered you think so highly of me – a servant like me? With the prince? You surely must be jesting. Now, stop dreaming those silly little heart shaped dreams and help me devise a way to ditch this fool of a prince so that I can return to my precious pizza.

No, no, I don't care how lovely you think we look together. I have until midnight to dine here and leave before this magic business fall apart. I most certainly do not fancy staying here when it does fall apart. What if they catch me as my gown return to my work dress, my complexion turn dry and rough and my hair dull back to the sooty grey-black? Why, they would most certainly brand me a witch and burn me on a steak. I would not like that – not at all.

Hn, fine, fine. STAKE. You are such a picky audience but I guess since I conjured you into my mind in the first place then I must picky too. Hmm…interesting thought there…

Aa, our dear prince had finally regained his ability to breathe like a normal human being again. Young people nowadays – so out of shape.

"You look like you're having a conversation in your head," he remarked, still not letting go of my hand.

"As a matter of fact, I was. Now, do be ever so kind and release my hand. I have a ballroom to find my way back to and pizza waiting for me to devour."

"Is that all you think about – pizza?"

"Of course!"

He paused, straightened and I could no longer read his expressions clearly in this poorly lit corridor. "So you would not even think of the prince who was enamoured with you since you appeared in his life?"

I sucked in a breath. He squeezed my wrist once and then turned and led me down the corridor.

It was not until we reached a turning and entered a hallway lined on one side with large windows, which overlooked the gardens that I finally chuckled and he snickered.

Very soon, we were both laughing quietly like fools in the middle of a corridor lit only by the moonlight streaming through the glass panes.

"Enamoured?" I tittered as we calmed down. "With a maid of all people! My prince, I never would have thought you were a jester inside."

"Indeed," he smirked, "why would I love a maid who only cared about pizza?"

"Indeed," I agreed and silence fell again as we stopped. He dropped my hand and when I looked up, he was calm and smiling ever so slightly.

I swished my skirts around and turned. "Well, I better be going now. My pizza is getting cold."

"How did you get here?" asked the prince and I halted. Was he doing this on purpose – this stalling me so that I cannot eat any pizza for the rest of the night?

"Hmm," I replied as I tried to think of something witty to say. "A maid has her ways."

I felt him take a step closer behind me but the carpet muffled his footsteps so I cannot quite tell exactly how close he was. "What ways?"

"Does it matter? I'm here and whatever is it that you need of this lazy maid? Does it truly require you to drag me all the way here? Could you not have told me in the ballroom? What do you want? To sneak into my household and work there, undercover, for a day?"

His only reply was, "You are a strange woman."

"Ara, my boy, you were the one who kidnapped I, a simple maid, from a ballroom where hundreds of guests would only be too happy to entertain you. And you call me strange?" I turned back to face him, only to find him leaning against a window and admiring the petals of a nearby potted plant.

I huffed impatiently, "Now out with it, this old maid does not have all day. What can I do for you?"

"Nothing really," he started, his eyes still on the plant. "I was ridiculously bored of the ball, that was all. I had them many times a year and have grown tired of them."

"So I am but simple entertainment for you?"

"Possibly," he answered and plucked a stem of flower from the plant. I refrained from flinching when he leant over and, with fingers long and slender, tucked the flower into place among my green locks. He leant back and I rolled my eyes at him.

"Lovely, you finished tucking a flower into a girl's hair. Can I go back now?"

"You may if you believe you can find your way back."

This man was starting to get annoying and I would kick him but I was not wearing my beautiful slippers and will most likely end up stubbing my toe (or something along those lines). Instead, I crossed my arms and watched him. I pulled a slow smile across my features – one that always looked like I was smug and smirking than smiling.

He smiled back but after a while, looked away unnerved. He sighed, "I was bored. You cannot possibly blame me. All my friends either had partners to attend to or would think it wrong to leave a party like that."

"Surely, Miss Milly would have happily skipped along with you."

"Oh but dragging her away and being alone with her will make her think wrongly."

"How wrongly?"

"She would start thinking I was courting her, would she not?"

"And I would not?"

He gazed by me and with a laugh, shook his head. "No, I think you're different. Your letters and the way you behave, it is strange. Besides, I bet you were too focused on food to even consider my intentions. I only wanted a little company away from the ball, is that too much to ask?"

"Yes, it is actually. Now, excuse me as I try to find my way back to the ballr… what are you doing?! Release my hand!"

"We still have not had our dance yet, have we?" he replied smoothly and pulled at my hand so that I stumbled forward. He adjusted his hand that captured mine and placed his other hand on my shoulder.

"Stop this nonsense, Lulu." I demanded, on purposely calling him that girly name to annoy him. But when I looked up, I saw in his eyes that this had all became a little game of his. 'See how long Prince Lelouch could stop C.C. from going back to the ballroom and be reunited with her one-true love, pizza' – what an extravagantly long title for such a silly game. A game where I was the prince fighting the dragon called Lelouch in order to get to the Princess Pizza.

I sighed loudly and made my body stiff so that he would have a difficult time getting me to dance. He frowned and started to get a little exasperated. "You are not very co-operative are you?"

He released my hands and I stepped back.

"Very well, I shall not force you to stay. Go back to your pizza then."

Was he serious? Was he truly letting me go?

Well, that was an easy dragon to defeat if he was really letting me go.

I turned on my heel and walked away.

* * *

He turned to me, suppressing a smile and I grimaced at him before without any grace at all, hopped onto a nearby decorative table that was devoid of ornaments.

I crossed my arms and glared at him. "You did this on purpose."

"I apologise but I don't know what you're speaking of."

"You on purposely dragged me to the middle of nowhere so that I will fail to find my way back."

He laughed, "milady, your lack of sense of direction is no fault of mine."

First, he took me away from pizza and now he was insulting me? The nerve of this man!

"You were not wearing any shoes?" he asked, his eyes noting my bare feet peeking out from my skirts. I was going to vow to ignore him but a better suggestion popped into my head. I crossed my feet at the ankles and assumed a pose with my back erect and straight. I lifted a hand and pulled a wicked smile. He instantly grew suspicious and stopped leaning again the windows.

"I believe you owe me a dance," I said with my words soaked with honey.

He examined at my proffered hand, "I believe it was the other way round – that _you_ owe _me_ a dance."

"Really? Well it does not really matter what we believe. Either way, we still have a dance to perform."

Still suspicious, he reached forward and clasped my hand, gently pulling me off the table until my feet were firmly on the carpeted floor.

As he placed my hands into the proper dancing positions I smiled with lots of teeth and told him, "I do warn you, my prince, that this old maid is horrid at dancing."

"It cannot be as bad as you say," he assured and we started.

I was unsure of my movements and relied on him entirely to guide me. We started slow, merely sidestepping in this dim corridor lit only by the moon.

I was not elegant at all and was never sure where to put my feet or which direction we were supposed to go and it did not help that we had no music playing for me to match rhythm and beat to.

He twirled me, hand lifting mine into the air and watching as I turned an uncertain circle on the spot. It made me feel more like a girlish child being indulged an overly doting father than a woman being twirled in the romantic moonlight by her handsome beau.

So I smiled again as I ended the twirl and he faltered, again suspicious of my actions and me.

Oho, my dear prince, you did not think I would let you go unpunished for separating me and my pizza did you?

And our dance started properly.

I turned ruthless.

My feet kept stamped on his and even though it does not hurt him as much as I liked because he wore shoes and I did not, it still entertained me to see his eyes twitch on my every misstep.

I laughed loudly as he tried to guide me across the carpet, on purposely fighting him with every step and trying to guide him the other direction he wanted to go.

If he wanted to go clockwise, I push the other way. If he wished to guide me across the hallway, I resisted and nudged him into one of those decorative tables so that he had to arch his back and swerve as to not knock over the expensive vases that rest on top of the tables.

When he grumbled, submitted and went in the direction of my choice, I would pull a grin and change direction again, all the while, hammering his protected feet with my toes.

I poked my skinny elbows into him with every opportunity. I banged my head against his chin when he attempted to twirl me – uncaring at how each bang would loosen my pinned up hair until the pins were straining to keep it up.

In addition, I laughed each and every time he winced. It stung his pride and I was surprised he had not pushed me away. Instead, he bit his lower lip and continued. Aa, this boy is so adorably stubborn.

So we danced with the carpet as our battleground, the table ornaments as my traps, the beautiful garden outside as my supporters cheering me on and the moonlight as my light source so that I may find my target and watch him writhe with annoyance over my actions.

"You were really not lying when you said you danced poorly," he almost spat at me as we completed another awkward twirl.

"Of course," I almost sang, "I never lie."

"Really?"

"Well, maybe sometimes." I gave him a teasing smile and watched him through my lashes. "Only to the evil villain who separated me from pizza."

Suddenly, one of his hands switched to clasp my waist, sitting firmly above where my dress fans out at the hips.

I gasped at him, "what are you doing?"

He gave me a dangerous smirk, "well, since I am now a villain, then surely I do not have to follow social manners."

I tried to shake his hand off my waist but it remained settled there. "You are bolder than I thought, my prince."

"Only to evil witches who enjoys stepping on my toes."

I stepped on his toes some more. He hissed and winced but refused to take his hand away from my waist.

I cannot quite remember when I forgot to step on his toes. It all happened gradually when we were glaring at each other too much for me to remember to torture him in other ways. By the time I remembered, I stamped on them once and immediately grew bored and tired of playing this game. I just wanted this dancing thing to be finished so that I can return to my pizza.

I leant my head forward and rested my forehead against his collarbone, closing my eyes and quietly waited for this silly dancing business to be over. He stiffened when I leant forward.

"Some new trick, witch?" he tried suspiciously.

"You are such a wary young man, are you not?" I laughed with my eyes still closed and my breath tickled the front of his shirt with each word I spoke. "Just shut up and dance, you fool. This bickering is tiring and we are both too mature than to argue like children."

He faltered but continued on, guiding me in circles across the carpet. When I was hesitant to perform a spin, he looked at me with curious eyes and I sighed, "Your carpeting is rough on my feet. Tsk, I would have thought the castle would have plush soft carpet and not this worn and thin rug-like substance."

"You are pickier than an empress," he remarked but slowly adjusted the dance to a slow waltz so that I need move my feet so very much.

"Of course," I droned into his chest, "I'm a witch after all."

"Then what about me?" His breath whispered into my hair, which had unfurled and now cascade down to my shoulders and pooled between the ridiculously high collar of this gown and the back of my neck. My hair pins scattered to the floor and remained lost and forgotten there forever – I do not even feel them under my feet. It was curious how quickly this cheap carpeting swallowed things up.

I thought of his question for a minute, feet fumbling to adjust to this slow waltz. "A warlock," I finally said and I could feel his chuckle bubble in his throat.

"Why a warlock?"

"Because a warlock is the only being who would willingly dance with a witch."

"I'm sure many other being would dance with you."

"But they would either be of a higher or lower being than me and either will spark another arguing match which I am too tired to consider at present. A warlock is of equal level, right? So a warlock you shall be."

"Aa, a warlock I shall be then," he agreed and I felt his breath shimmer through the roots of the hair on my scalp. I shivered. I did not realise that the corridor was so cold.

I felt him look away and knew he was blushing like a shy boy as he lifted his hand off my waist and still burning pink in the face, he placed his hand on the small of my back and drew me a step closer.

"Oh how bold you are, my dear prince," I teased, lifting my head to look at the dusting of pink on the bridge of his nose.

"A gentleman would not allow his partner to freeze," he managed to mumble before I dropped my head on his shoulder and silently leeched warmth from him.

I know not how long we stayed like that, with me warming myself by our closeness and him guiding me in slow, small circles to imaginary music.

I still stepped on his toes occasionally but not as often as before and he no longer winced or flinched from the pain but bore it without complaint.

So we danced with the carpet as our dance floor, the table ornaments as our fellow dancers, the beautiful garden outside as our audience and the moonlight as the giant chandelier which hung above us and occasionally spotlighting us or other dancing couples as we make our way around the dance floor.

* * *

END OF CHAPTER FIVE

* * *

**Code_Geass_Lover:** Well I guessed you would have to feel constantly special because as long as you post a review, I will continue to respond to it. Thank you ^^

**KatYen**: We all make blunders – it is unbelievable the amount of mistakes I make when I'm so into a scene in writing that I forget to consider my words properly. And look! I've even dragged this ball scene out so that the story runs on longer (actually it just turned out dragged out, I guess I underestimated it from the start) PS – you really do sound adorable and it makes me want to squee and glomp you!

**Crateful of love to all you lovely and cute readers and reviewers. Adore you all.**

**KiKi Hayashi**


	6. Cinderella's Midnight

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Cinderella or Code Geass. They belong to their respective owners

**Apologies:** as always, to my sweet and dear beta-readers for not letting you proofread this.

**Warning:** May be OOC though I am rather unsure. I'm sticking a warning on anyways.

* * *

**Chapter Six – Cinderella's Midnight**

* * *

"How long are we going to twirl in these mindless circles?" I asked him, my words mumbling into his shoulder and I imagined him shiver as my breath drifted through the weave of his evening jacket, through his shirt and hit the bare skin underneath.

"Why? Are you getting tired?" answered my dancing partner.

"No, only bored."

He stopped moving me around and I ventured that it meant this whole dancing business was finished. I moved to push myself off him but his hand clamped onto either side of my waist and made my eyes widened in shock.

"What are you-" I managed to utter before he lifted me into the air daintily. From how long he lasted in running, I would never have thought he owned the strength to lift me with those skinny arms of his.

He took a few steps, carrying me backwards. I felt the back of my knees hit the edge of a table and he gently deposited me on it.

"I don't think there is a chair in this corridor," was his only excuse for his actions.

"Hmm," I sounded as he backed away, his eyes wandering down to my feet, which peeked out of my skirts. "How charming of you to find me a place to sit and how attentive for noticing my feet hurting after you dragged me across this horrid carpet for who knew how long."

"My apologies," said the prince but he did not look apologetic at all.

I shook my hair free of the high collar of my gown and felt slightly warmer now that I had my hair to cover parts of my shoulders and chest like a blanket. "Now, can this old maid leave?"

"To return to your master?"

I snorted - as if! "Of course not."

"You dislike him that much?" he asked next, stepping forward to lean against the wall beside my tiny table.

I narrowed my eyes him. "Why would you like to know?"

"Only curious and the silence between us is rather awkward, don't you agree?"

"Actually, I find it very peaceful."

"Maybe."

There I sat and he stood with our mouths closed and our eyes forward to admire the flowers of the garden outside the window. Bored, I tried imagining the giant red roses as tomatoes and resorted to counting them as I grew even more bored.

Ten…. Eleven…. Twelve….

Thirteen…..Fourteen… Fifteen…

"How would you like to come work with me?" he finally asked and I stopped swinging my feet to look up at him.

"Aa, I see we're finally onto the main topic." I chuckled, "You dragged me all the way here and danced with me just to charm this old maid to leave her current employer to come work for you?"

"You guessed my intentions?"

"No, it only just clicked together just there. Now, my dear prince, answer me. Why should I work for you? I never knew of a prince who would headhunt among other households' staff for servants."

He crossed his arms and his eyes refused to look at me instead they stayed on the garden outside. "It's not quite for myself but for my sister. She's coming of age and I would need somebody I could trust to handle her social calendar."

"You plan to use me to track of your sister's friends for you and to chase away the suitors in your place? Only so that you will not look like a demonic and controlling brother in doing the job yourself? What a terrible man you are to ask a meek little girl like me to do your dirty work for you?"

He winced at my choice of words but did not refute my claims so I continued with another curious question that made him stare even more intently at the flowers beyond the windows – our prince is ever such a shy boy. "You trust me?"

In my mind's eye, I pictured a nose dusted with pink on his face. "I only chose you because you seem to care little about trivial matters such as socialising unless you really must, so you will know who my sister must see and who she must not."

"The suitors are part of the 'no no' list, are they?" I teased.

"A witch like you will take delight in breaking little boys' hearts, would you not?"

"And a warlock like you will take delight in knowing that your sister is yours forever. I never imagined our prince to have a sister complex."

He flushed red and sputtered, "I do not!"

"Oh, but you do."

"Are you taking the job or not?" he quickly asked, trying to change the subject.

I returned to swinging my feet idly, dragging out my answer and making him impatient – though he tried to act unaffected by staring at the clouds drifting by.

"How am I certain that this job will be here if I leave my current work? You are a prince and for all I know, this could be a great game of yours to see if you can charm a poor old maid like me to leave my work."

"How would you like me to confirm it then? Shall I draw up a contract?"

"No, that will take too long and I have to leave at midnight."

"Midnight?" he extracted his pocket-watch and raised an eyebrow, "you have twenty minutes then."

I did not realise it was late already and not only did I not have enough time to have pizza, I could barely find my way out of the castle in that amount of time. I shuffled off my table.

Noting my intention to leave, he grabbed my arm. "What about our agreement?"

"Oh, I'm sure you can find another girl to do the job," I assured, trying to pull free of him. I smacked at his fingers curled about my arm but he refused to let go.

This time it was his turn to scoff, "as if I could find girl willing to do the job and not take advantage of the work by flirting and hoping to be become my bride."

"You are awfully vain, my prince," I laughed and did not stop wriggling from his grasp. The clock was ticking and I would not want to be here when my magic disappeared…. Wait… should I be that worried?

He already called me a witch so would it make that much difference if I showed him that I really was one?

Or would he turn horrified and scream for guards?

Should I risk it?

Oh, stopping nodding your heads and those romantic thoughts in your head are still foolish! Erase them! I will NOT be his bride and I will NOT be dressed in a black empress gown made to match his white emperor robes! A maid such as I will never get married to a prince no matter how much you wished for it. Erase those thoughts immediately. I am in a predicament and you are most certainly not helping!

"Should we settled with a handshake then?" asked Prince Lelouch, his hand stretched out to clasp mine so as to force me into this absurd contract of his.

Contract…

Aa… now there's an idea.

I stopped my struggling and he grew confused as I merely stared at his offered hand, waiting for the handshake to come.

"If I accept this contract of yours then you will promise not to kick me out no matter what happen?"

He grew suspicious but drawled out a 'yes' anyway. Was his sister that precious that he was willing to go such great lengths to secure her a social secretary?

"Really?" I asked again, staring at his eyes to make sure he was certain and this was true and not a game he was betting with a friend who was hiding in the shadows.

His violet orbs were determined and so mesmerizingly beautiful that I am sure it would send many young ladies to the floor with weak knees. But this was my future that was under discussion and I was not going to be wooed by googly eyes. I glared at him and his eyes did not flicker once so I knew he spoke true when he said, "Really."

"I will be employed as your sister's social secretary, get my full salary with no cuts and have pizza every day."

"Pizza? I cannot see why not but you shall have to place the order for delivery from the bakery yourself. It would not do for my other staff to think I'm treating you differently."

I wrinkled my nose at the idea. It would be bothersome to get pizza all the way from the bakery in town that made them but he did have a point. I rolled my eyes and nodded for the time being. Once I am employed, I am sure I can get him to change his mind.

"Very well," I said, relaxing further. Aa, now I don't have to worry. I had his word that he will not throw me out of the castle and burn me on a steak – STAKE, oh, my dear audience, you are ever so picky.

"Your hand?" he prompted and I looked down at his pale outstretched fingers.

"No," I whispered.

I looked up at him and then reached up with my hand. My fingertips touched the underside of his chin, grazed across his delicate skin and he became puzzled but I pressed forward. My fingers moved to his neck, traced down the Adam's apple on his throat and hooked under his shirt where the top button sat.

He only managed to gasp once from surprise before I yanked him down by the collar and, in this moonlit corridor with horrid carpeting, covered his lips with mine.

It was hardly a romantic kiss. Our teeth knocked from the force I pulled him down with and our faces were not tilted to accommodate each other's noses properly. His eyes were wide open in astonishment and mine were glowing with victory.

But it was a kiss nonetheless and I bet you must be squealing with pleasure now for, in your mind, you must be painting the entire picture to be more romantic than it was. It would contain a green hair maiden, standing on her tip-toes with her finger hooked in the collar of a handsome young prince with hair as black as midnight. They kissed in a hallway decorated richly by the shadows and moonlight with their own secret little garden outside blooming brilliantly in the night air.

She would find his lips softer than she imagined and they closed their eyes as he gently kissed her back. He kissed her so tenderly, carefully and ever so sweetly that it was as if she was something precious and extremely delicate.

Hmph, I am going to guess that your heroine will then blush brightly as the kiss broke and the prince, with eyes half-lidded and secretive, will clasp her chin and bend down to gift another sweet kiss on the maiden's lips. His hand will move to settle at the small of her back and help her balance as she strained onto her tip-toes again to kiss him back.

Well, imagine what you like but in reality the where I live, it was different.

Stay in your dream world if you must for I hardly blushed and he hardly clasped my chin.

In fact, he was shocked through the whole ordeal and by the time he collected his bearings again, I had pushed away with a winning smile on my lips.

He flushed slightly like the shy boy he was and I teased him as I stepped back. "Oh, my dear boy, you hardly expect me to believe that was your first kiss, was it? Surely a handsome young lad like you will have claimed a few innocent ladies' lips already?"

He regained his composure and turned haughty, not without his face still burning a light pink, "More than you think."

I laughed wickedly and dazzled devilishly, "Well, it was my first kiss and since you had stolen it from me, I hereby demand that you-"

"Stolen? Au contraire, you gave it to m-"

"Oh details, details," I waved and returned to my main point, "You must repay me by ensuring that our contract is confirmed and agreed upon completely."

"Surely a handshake would have sufficed."

"Oh but Prince Lelouch, you shake hands with everyone and anyone. It is hardly a way to ensure my future. No, my first kiss is a much better bargaining chip for now you will feel most guilty of stealing it and my new position will be secured."

"Hardly."

"Pardon?"

"Hardly. I hardly feel any guilt for 'stealing' this kiss of yours."

"Oh, you are a cruel man."

"Said the witch."

"Well, since I'm a witch, my kiss is a curse and you must offer me this new job else you shall die a painful death."

"You are truly a witch."

"Said the warlock."

"You are very different from other girls indeed."

"Oh, possibly because the only girls you knew were charming ladies and not witches who spend entire days trying to escape household chores."

I really wanted to continue the banter but sadly, the prince's men have finally found out about our disappearance and revealed our hiding spot.

"Your highness?" a voice echoed from the entrance of the corridor.

"Suzaku," Prince Lelouch greeted and went to meet his sister's knight, bidding me to stay where I was until he returned.

I watched him leave and slip out of the door to talk to his men. I played with the ends of my hair for a while and heard a door open behind me.

"Gao Hai?" I responded without thinking as I turned around. He looked shocked and then his brows knitted together with anger.

* * *

"Release me, please," I tried again, sounding bored and rolling my eyes at this foolishness. My stepfather pulled me along the corridor – one that was many rooms away from where my first dance and kiss had occurred.

"I knew it was you," his high-pitched voice muttered as he dragged me along behind him. I resisted his pull but he was taller and stronger than me. His crushing grip on wrist was unrelenting.

"Oh, this is so troublesome. I cannot let others find out that servant of mine snuck into a royal ball. It will be a scandal! They will think that I cannot handle my staff and that I was purposefully trying to fool them into believing a maid to be a lady." He muttered such worries hurriedly with his fan fluttering against his lips.

He ducked around a corner when he saw people approaching from another doorway and yanked me along with him before I could call for help. He closed the door and I looked around me for means to escape. Should I smash a vase on his head? Should I strangle him with a curtain? Or perhaps I should nudge a stool to his feet so he would trip and hit his head off that conveniently placed table with that nasty looking corner.

I consider other options – from trapping him in curtains to chucking him out the window - but before I could decide on any, he whirled around and started pushing me to another door, deeming this room not safe enough to stash a disobedient maid.

"Move, you imbecile," he growled when I suddenly ground my feet to the floor and refused to budge.

I had my reasons for not moving, of course. Reasons such as I have a prince to find and a new job where I will no longer have to clean dirty laundry and fireplaces but get to bully a princess's suitors and wreck havoc on her social calendar. Reasons such as the prince will not throw me out even if I was to suddenly turn into a dirty maid with dry skin and sooty hair. So, so, so many reasons for me to stay where I was and not let him drag me any further.

Many reasons, but none as important as the one I truly stumbled to a halt on.

The reason?

Midnight struck and my dress was unravelling.

I pulled at Gao Hai's hand with even more force than I did before. I cannot turn into an ugly duckling in front of him. I cannot and will not!

I did not quite care if he saw it but more of how he would react to it. He would scream, panic and alert the guards. He would tell them I am a witch, a cursed being and wicked woman out to steal human hearts. They would chain me, imprison me and then burn me on a stake and that was hardly my happily ever after ending.

"Let go of me!" I demanded and he looked a little shocked at my sudden change of expression – understandable since I hardly ever showed this much emotion or so vehemently refused to do something.

"Stop struggling, you stupid girl!"

I fought Gao Hai and I fought the magic around me. I strained with all my willpower to keep every magical thread of my dress knitted together and not unravel in front of Gao Hai's eyes.

Maybe I should club him in the head.

"Look, you silly girl! You ripped your dress! I don't know where you got it but I refuse to pay for the damages."

Just to clarify, I did NOT rip it. My distracted thoughts of clubbing Gao Hai allowed one piece of Sister Immortal's curse's magic to slip free and disappear into the air, fading to nothing.

I gasped, held my breath and wrapped my free arm securely around my waist as if the action would help hold the dress on me.

Oh but it burned.

I struggled to breath as the corset pulsed against my skin, with each beat scalding me in effort to make me let go and allow it be free.

My step-father took advantage of my distracted state of mind to tug at my hand insistently. He did not manage to drag me more than two steps before I lost footing and fell to the floor in a burning scarlet and emerald heap.

"C.C., what on earth are you…" he snapped, turning back to glare at me but stopped, took on the horrified expression of simply gaping at me.

I could not blame him. I would gape too… well maybe not gape but I would stare. You know me too well to think I would gape. Gaping is not quite an expression I do so I would stare.

I would stare as my beautiful ball gown glowed bright ruby red as I sprawled on the floor in my hands and knees, fighting to contain the gown and hitching my breath each time the magic scalded me.

My pale ivory skin, the one the magic gifted me, glowed and flecked off me, leaving the dry dull complexion that I owned before it turned pretty.

"No, stop," I managed to choke as the ends of the dress shimmered and slowly, bit by bit, burst into red feathers like that of my pet bird's plumage. I reached back and grabbed hold of the tiny feathers in attempt to catch them and, maybe, stuff them back into the dress.

My dress will not fall apart here.

My dress will stay on me.

My dress will not fall apart here.

My dress will….

I screamed and Gao Hai, breaking out of his shock, leapt forward and silenced me by stuffing his sleeve into my mouth. My torso burned as if somebody was carving into my ribs with a rusting knife. He caught my shoulders as I choked on his sleeve and my own spit and restarted his attempts to drag me away.

If I was in a better state of mind, I would have heard the sound of others running to investigate the scream but I was not and failed to notice anything. Anything except that Gao Hai pulling me like I was a dead corpse he was frantically trying to hide and that the rusty knife sensation on my ribs slowly evolved into a rusty cleaver.

I screamed muffled cries into his sleeve the entire way and after the third hallway, I fell to my knees once more, shuddering and gasping like a wreck as I finally lost the battle against the magic.

My dress glowed and pulsed then POOF, it scattered into a whirlwind of red feathers. I clutched my ribs, which continued to burn even when the red feathers around me sparkled into nothing and disappeared from the world forever. Gao Hai's sleeve escaped my lips as he jumped away, scared of the feathers that sparkled out of existence with each blink of an eyes.

I gasped and wheezed on my hands and knees. My old servant dress now sat on my body, my skin dry and dull, and my own saliva smeared over my lips, cheeks and chin. I cared not if, with each breath I take, more spit trickled from my lips and onto the floor. I wanted to check if I was bleeding, for it sure as hell felt as if it should be, but I could not even move my eyes before I felt the magic pulling at my hair.

I clenched my teeth.

No.

Not my hair.

Not my green hair.

I can lose the dress, I can even lose the ivory pale skin the magic gave me but I refused to lose my green hair.

I refused to return to having ash-covered, black-dyed, dull and damaged hair.

I fell to the floor completely, lying in it face first and clutched my hair. I fisted the strands with so much force that it almost yanked the roots of my vibrant locks right from my scalp. If I cast my head up now, I would see how well the truly terrified look suited my step-father, especially when unwanted tears rolled from the corners of my eyes and tracked their way down my face to plop on the carpet.

I am not one to cry. I do not cry. It was just not very C.C. but sometimes, when the pain or effort was too great then one just cannot control oneself enough to stop the involuntary action of crying.

In pain, I was – my chest still burned with pain and my scalp screamed as I fought to contain the magic that returned my hair to its normal colour – but still I cannot help but laugh.

I chuckled slowly and deeply and imagined that with I must look like some wicked and terrifying creature lying on the carpet of a room lit only by the moonlight outside. A creature with long green hair that lay every which way, mouth covered with spit, eyes wild and throat rumbling with low laughter. I was surprised my stepfather had not run away yet or perhaps he was too scared to.

I chuckled as the magic tugged at my hair, lifting strands into the air and glowing until the green of my hair was so bright, it hurts the eyes just to look at it.

I chuckled and chuckled and chuckled as my tears streamed and streamed and streamed.

Why do I chuckle?

Because this was rather funny.

Why?

Because I was actually trying to win something. Me – dear lazy ol' C.C. with hardly any ambition – was actually trying and fighting against magic of all things to win.

It is an amusing thought is it not? If you told me a day before that I will die because of my pet bird wanting to break her curse, use her curse's magic to become a lady, go to the ball, eat lots of pizza, dance with a prince and, finally, wrestle with magic over the colour of my hair, I will most certainly raise a brow at you and laughed.

It was absurd.

And it has all happened.

And I found out that I actually still cared about such trivial as winning and losing.

To think that I cared about something else but lazing and pizza.

To think I still cared about winning and losing inside my heart.

I laughed.

I cried – not that this bit was under my control.

I clenched my hair and laughed.

I fought with the magic.

I threw my head back and laughed.

I envisioned that I must have become utterly mad.

I laughed.

My forehead burned warmly.

My hair stopped glowing.

My vision turned blue and I was travelling down a tunnel of blue with neon threads whizzing.

I saw a grid of coloured sparkling lines that re-arranged themselves into another patterned grid and glowed.

And I knew I won.

I won the battle and my hair will stay green forever.

….

…

Let's get pizza to celebrate.

* * *

Pizza was not in order it seemed, as I was too tired to move. When I stopped glowing and won my fabulous battle which nobody saw (well maybe except you since you are my audience after all), Gao Hai inched forward and poked me with his foot.

When I failed to respond but groan and blink at him blearily, he bit his lip and swooped down to pick me up.

Some girls get carried by handsome princes, some get beautiful swordsmen, some by sturdy husbands and some by charming beaus. Well, I get to be carried by my stepfather who painted his face white, wore robes and possessed a strangely pitched voice.

He grimaced at my weight and I was too tired to pull a witty remark over how his arms held no feeling of security at all – I felt like I was carried aloft by a pair of twigs.

And so, he carried me through the hallways, snuck me past rooms and down to where the carriages were parked. He left me inside the freezing interior of his carriage, locked the carriage doors and went to search for Tianzi and Xingke so that he could hurriedly make his escape.

When he was gone, I struggled to sit up and lifted the skirt of my servant dress. It was an energy draining action but I got to see why my torso hurt so much. A large, ugly and strangely shaped scar sat on the skin just under my left breast. It was tender to touch and was slightly pink which, I had no doubt, will fade away to the dull colour that scars usually adopted on skin.

I dropped my skirts and turned to a window, pushing back the bright green hair I fought so hard for and smiled at the reflection I saw in the glass.

Ara, how apt - an ugly scar on my torso for the battle I lost when fighting for my beloved ball gown and a red sigil on my forehead, red as Geass's feathers, for the battle I won when fighting for my hair.

Scars for battles lost and won. Scars in a symbol almost like a bird. A symbol nobody will understand except me. For it was my bird – small and red. And since nobody understands it, then it must be a code - a unique code only for me.

C.C.'s code.

* * *

END OF CHAPTER SIX

* * *

**MyBeloved:** I shall try my best to accommodate your 'update soon' wishes. *bows* I am attempting this fic completely unbeta-ed so it makes me extremely happy to read that you find it clever/well-written. It makes me blush.

**Code_Geass_Lover:** The things from the anime/manga are actually all random add-ins. I never plan most of them. They just come into my head at the moment of writing the scenes and I'll go 'Oh that'll be interesting! Let's twist it in' and in they go. Elegant? *splutters with a giant blush* no no, very far from!

**FF, inc**: C.C. in AU is interesting to write and I enjoy the challenge of making her fit the AU setting yet still remain in character. It gives me great joy to hear you find her convincing and I cannot ask for a greater reward than to hear those words.

**KatYen**: Oh no! You cannot escape me that easily. This underclassman is still adorable and still very cuddly. Actually, Lelouch HAD crossdress before in one of the picture dramas and was nicknamed 'Luluko' – I based the image of 'Miss Lulu' off it. As usual, your words made me blush (you're getting very good at this!). Engaging the readers is part of the fun in writing this, I love doing it and C.C. allowed me to play with it more. And lastly Vocaloid?! I love them! Though I'm not too keen on the Kagamine twins and Meiko to be honest. I like the rest though. Many thanks as always.

**I just realised that I'm quite long-winded and I'm surprised that you, my lovely readers, never complained. I love you all the more because of it. Thank you for always reading. As always, all forms of comments welcomed - be they flames, advice, criticism etc.**

**KiKi Hayashi**


	7. Cinderella's Departure

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Code Geass or the story of Cinderella. They belong to their respective owners.

**Apologies**: to adorable betas for not letting them read this first

**Warning**: Rushed work. Dynamited through most of it. OOC?

**Sorry for the wait.

* * *

**

**Chapter Seven – Cinderella's Departure**

* * *

I rolled over in my bed when Xianglin came into my room with my breakfast. It was the third morning after the night of my kidnapping from the royal ball.

"Good morning," she said as she set down my tray of food. I shuffled over awkwardly, trying to ignore the flinch that shook through her body when I neared her. She was very suspicious of me and had been extremely reluctant to come in my room to feed me my meals. I chuckled at her the first time when she refused to be alone with me and had forced a bored and grumpy Xingke to sit with her whilst she scooped spoonful after spoonful of food into my mouth. Not that I could blame her for fearing me as I too will be petrified to be with someone if they died then came back to life before waltzing out of the house in a magic-spun dress.

I wriggled my wrists uncomfortably, wanting to pull my shoulders back and stretch my arms behind me. "Really, is it necessary to tie my hands behind my back and keep me locked in here?"

Xianglin's lips pulled into a thin line. "It's not my idea."

"True, it's my stepfather's but surely you can release me."

Her lips went even thinner. "You know I cannot do that. I was in enough trouble because Gao Hai got the impression that I was the one who let you go to the ball that night."

I pursed my lips then opened them again when she started the process of spoon-feeding me porridge.

I chewed and tried to shove my bare toes underneath her leg when she sat down on my bed. It was cold being in here alone and away from the warm fire that usually blazes in the kitchen. Xianglin wriggled away, uncomfortable and still a little wary of me. I rolled my eyes.

"I don't have a drop of magic in me anymore," I said in between of mouthfuls of porridge.

She pointed the spoon at my bright green hair, right at the spot where the red bird-like sigil was on my forehead, and I rolled my eyes again. "Just because my hair stayed green and did not turn back to the dusty black it was before does not mean I'm still magical."

The Chinese girl cast me a sceptical eye and we stayed in comfortable silence for the rest of my breakfast. Finally, as she got up to leave, she shot me an apologetic glance as she told me that I'll be having my lunch a little later than usual.

"Late? Why?" I asked, trying to get comfortable once more in my bed. I do not mind the lazing around in my room bit at all though this tied-up-hands-behind-my-back business was truly troublesome.

"We're…" Xianglin twisted her mouth as if trying to find the right words and I cannot resist raising an eyebrow in curiosity.

"We're?" I prompted.

"Having some guests," she finished after much pondering then swept out quickly, leaving me to blink at the door.

Guests? What was so special about the guests that made the straightforward Xianglin hesitate to tell me about them? Hmm, curious indeed…

* * *

I fell asleep right after Xianglin left and was startled awake by an outrageous cry outside in the garden below my window. When I looked out, I found Tamaki's voice quickly switching one to begging for forgiveness. He was apologising to several well-dressed men standing haughtily beside a royal carriage in the drive.

A royal carriage? Why was it here?

"Hmmm," I hummed then pattered over to the door in hopes of pressing my ear against it to possibly hear what was happening downstairs.

Then a miracle happened.

The lock of my door clicked and by clicked, I meant clicked open.

"Oh? I thought lunch was going to be…late…" I said, trailing off as at the door swung open. "Tianzi?"

Tianzi? Oh, I must be dreaming.

The small girl chewed on her lower lip, eyes darting right then left nervously and hands wringing her skirts uncomfortably.

"Tianzi?" I tried again. Never would I have ever even dreamed of my stepsister standing in front of my bedroom like this but she was and she sucked in a deep breath then came to grab the edge of skirt.

"I'm s-sorry," she whispered, "I-I'm sorry for what my fathe- _our_ father did to you."

"Oh by all means, you can keep him. He is hardly my father. It's hard enough thinking him as my step-father," I laughed.

She tugged at my skirts a little insistently. "Let's go."

"Where?"

"Tianzi! Tianzi! Where are you?" Gao Hai's voice shouted from downstairs.

The girl's eyes went wide and if anything she grew even more nervous. She pulled at my skirt once more. "Come, please."

"Where?" I asked once more but she only looked up at me with giant red eyes that made me feel as if my questions were torture devices and I am torturing her mercilessly. Groaning and finally understanding why Xianglin and Xingke have such a hard time refusing any of this little girl's requests (because refusing such a fragile and far too innocently cute creature was simply impossible), I moved my feet and started to follow her as she pulled me down the musty hallway.

"There are men downstairs from the castle," she explained as we made our way down. Gao Hai's voice shouted again for his daughter who was far too meek to even consider shouting back a reply such as 'I'm coming!'

"I noticed."

She stopped at the end of the hallway and turned to stare at me with those giant red eyes of hers. I could feel myself softening instantly. Curse little girls and their giant eyes that scream to be petted and coddled.

"C.C., what happened at the ball?" she asked, looking nervously down at her feet now, "There are rumours everywhere."

"What kind of rumours?"

"The official reason the castle gave was that screams were heard on the night of the ball. Yet investigation only turned up with lots of witnesses hearing the scream, a ruined and burnt carpet of priceless value and s-s-strands of g-green hair left at the scene," my step-sister explained with her tiny voice, occasionally lapsing into whispers so quiet that I had to strain to her correctly. "So they're going from house to house, in search of a person with the same colour of h-hair as the strands."

Carpet? BURNT carpet? I tried to remember the details of what happened night but for the life of me, I cannot remember the state of the carpet on which my fight with magic was upon. It _could_ have been burnt or damaged and I would not be surprised if it was, since it certainly felt like the magic was burning my very skin off my body.

Hmmm…. I hope I don't have to pay for that damaged carpet if I was to work for the prince as proposed…

Oh? Aa, why yes, of course I am still thinking of working for him! Away from Gao Hai, dusting, cleaning and washing. A job where all I need to do is sit back, organise a silly princess's schedule and cruelly reject all her suitors. My contract with the prince also clearly states that he must not kick me out no matter the circumstances and pay me my full salary regardless.

…

Oh, then maybe I can escape from paying for the carpet… hmm… this would need some pondering…

"You said that's the official reason - so there's something else?" I asked, trying to wriggle in my bonds, hinting for her to remove them.

My stepsister blushed and then lifted her face to gaze at mine curiously. My wriggling hint bounced invisibly off her head and remained forgotten. "T-There was a rumour that it wasn't about the screaming incident at the ball but actually his highness, Prince Lelouch looking the owner of the lock of hair."

She bit her lower lip cutely and blushed even more. "They said the lock of hair belonged to the girl who captured the prince's heart and was kidnapped from the ball. Once found, she will be formally announced as his fiancée."

I blinked at the absurdness of the rumour then laughed.

Captured his heart? I hardly think so. We merely shared a dance and a kiss and I am certain that a prince as handsome as he had shared the same with many young maidens thus, following that logic, had his heart ensnared by a string of girls.

Tianzi looked worried at my sudden laughter but reached forward and tugged on my skirt. "The hair… was it yours, C.C.? I cannot think of anybody else with green hair and father seems to think it is yours as well. He wants to hide you."

"And why would he want to hide me?"

"He said that you're a witch and we would be punished greatly if we even consider letting you go with the people from the castle."

"And what do you think, Miss Tianzi? Why did you free me from my room?"

She shrank back from me, shy and timid once again. "I-I don't think you're a witch. I just want to set you f-f-free…. Just in case the rumours are true."

Aa, so my dear stepsister is a believer of love at first sight, fairytales and happily ever afters. I chuckled and she went beetroot red with embarrassment.

"L-Let's go," she stammered and reached to open the door that leads to downstairs then cowered back when she saw who stood on the other side of the door. "F-Father."

Gao Hai's eyes flicked from the small Tianzi to me and back again, confusion painted evidently on his face then quickly redrawing it to a scowl.

"C.C.," he said.

"Gao Hai," I replied back in my monotone.

"Tianzi," Gao Hai now said.

"F-Father," the little girl stammered stepping back and almost trying to hide behind my wrinkled skirts.

"C.C.," Gao Hai said snippily – annoyed that his daughter is hiding behind me.

"Gao Hai," I answered again, now amused – I could play this name game all day, especially when with each syllable I utter, my stepfather's eyebrow twitched violently close to his hairline.

Obviously, my stepfather did not share my amusement and he reached around me to snatch his daughter back to his side as if I was a contagious disease that his precious should most definitely not touch. "Go downstairs, Tianzi, and stay with Xianglin. We have guests and I will present you to them when I get down."

The terrified girl glanced at me once, chewed her lower lip nervously then quickly made her way out of my sight.

"C.C.," Gao Hai said again, rubbing his temples as a headache started to form. "I could not believe that you would stoop as low as to trick my Tianzi."

I laughed at him, "trick? Your precious daughter unlocked me from my room herself. I did nothing except follow her."

Gao Hai's nose wrinkled. He did not know whether to believe me or not but with a click of his tongue, he reached forward, caught my arm and rather than drag me back to my room like I expected him to, he pulled me downstairs and placed me in Xingke's care in the kitchen.

"I'll deal with you later," my stepfather muttered and swept out of the room.

I stood there blinking at the closed door and then to Xingke who was sitting on a stool, his long legs stretched out in front of him and peeling a basket of potatoes.

Xingke! Peeling potatoes!

He blinked back at me silently daring me to laugh but I shook my head, grinned and sat down on the floor by the fire, enjoying the warmth of the blaze and the way the warm tiles felt under my feet.

Something told me that I would not be able to enjoy this feeling for very long. If Xingke, our stoic handsome coachman, was recruited in to help in the kitchen and effectively doing my job then does that not signify that I am no longer required here?

* * *

To my surprise, Gao Hai hadn't thought of how to deal with me yet, so once again I was confined in my room, cold and hungry because my dinner was kept from me – apparently, that was the cruellest punishment my stepfather could conjure at the moment.

That night, I was prodded awake by an insistent pair of hands, which fumbled in the dark to try and get under me.

I groaned, wondering why on earth Xianglin was trying to roll me over in bed but when I heard a hushed voice I could barely recognise, I bolted awake, successfully smashing my skull against the chin of whoever was attempting to wake me up.

The stranger fumbled backwards, nursing a sore jaw and his hands caught the curtains, pulling at them just enough for moonlight to slip through the gaps.

"Mao," I gasped and he grinned at me goofily.

"Hello C.C.," he whispered, straightened his shirt as if he was a shy boy wanting to make a good first impression. He had grown absurdly tall and I could not help but gaze at his limbs – they go on and on forever!

"Why are you here?" I hissed, annoyed I was woken up in such an ungodly hour and by somebody who I cared about in the past but not anymore.

"Shh, C.C., shh," he hushed, putting a finger against my lips. "I came back to get you. Aren't you happy?"

I blinked at him baffled. "Wha-" I managed before he tackled me. I fell backwards and almost off the bed. My breath left my lungs, it was dark and I was confused. "Mao, what are you…"

He shoved something into my mouth, effectively gagging me and then before, I could even register what was in my mouth, he rolled me up in my bed-sheets, picked me up, flung me over his shoulder and, as quickly and quietly as possible, left the room and into the hallway.

"Mmph!" I cried, teeth and tongue working to shove what must had been a large wad of rolled up scrap cloths from my mouth.

"Hush, my C.C.," he whispered, sneaking along the dark corridors with me slung over his shoulder.

My? _MY_? Oh Mao, oh Mao, you silly boy, whatever made you think I was yours?

I kicked at him wildly but my wrapped legs hardly did any damage. I groaned my displeasure and wriggled my arms but it was useless as not only were my hands tied behind my back but my arms are pinned against the side of my body because of the bed-sheets.

"Hush, everything will be fine," he comforted obviously under some strange belief that I was terrified of being found out by Gao Hai. "He wouldn't know we're gone until the morning."

Cue a roll of my eyes. I wanted to poke his head and ask him which part of me looked like I wanted to leave the house with him.

He kept hushing me and I gave up squirming since I obviously was not going to get free no matter how much I struggled.

He carefully unlocked the back door and eased out, making me blink my eyes rapidly as my sight adjusted to the brightness of the full moon. There was a carriage waiting outside – not a fancy carriage but a modest plain one that that could blend perfectly into any town.

"Mmph," I mumbled and kicked him once more to show what I thought of the idea of him kidnapping me in the middle of the night.

"Aa, I see you like my carriage, C.C.," Mao said gleefully as he wrenched a door open and gently set me inside like I was a precious china doll.

He stroked my cheek lightly with a finger like he hadn't seen me for a long while (true) and I have grown thinner since I've last seen him (not true, I am very much my size still).

"Aa, my C.C., you have grown thinner" – see, exactly what I guessed.

He leant over and kissed me on the cheek then smiled at me gently. "I've found my fortune, C.C.. I've found it and I can take care of you forever and ever. Will you let me? You love me, right? I'm your Mao, right? I know I left without you in the past but I have come back and I have money. We can live together. Let's run away."

I perked up a little at the word 'money'. Does this mean I didn't have to work anymore? If it does… then I don't see why I should refuse the offer. Sure, he perhaps a little strange but he said he loved me and he'll take care of me and an easy life was all I asked so….

My eyes grew suspicious when his grin stopped temporarily to show a more worried expression.

"We'll go somewhere far. How about Australia? Nobody can find us there…. Though I don't know if I have enough money to get us there…" he grinned, widely and his eyes flickered in such a way that I grew even more suspicious. "No worries, my C.C., as I'll think of something. You're so small I might be able to fit you in a bag then we wouldn't have to worry about paying for your part of the trip."

Did he honestly believe I would fit in a bag?

…

His eyes told me that he would – nay, _will_ - make me fit if I do not.

He grinned at me again, closed and locked the door and I heard him climb onto the driver seat. A flick of the reins and I felt the carriage rumbling off with him humming and giggling to himself as I tried with renewed vigour to free myself.

Oh, why do I always attract the strange people into my life? First Gao Hai, then Geass my stupid, horrid pet bird, then a prince who is far too overprotective over his sister to be normal and now Mao who seems to have gotten even stranger since I've last seen him.

I grimaced at how tight the ropes around my wrists were and how limited my movements are with the sheets wrapped around me– this could take longer than I thought.

* * *

END OF CHAPTER SEVEN

**

* * *

Erica Kae Medrano:** Here's more ^^… for now. Thanks for the review.

**Random Reviewer:** I love breaking fourth walls and this fic gave me plenty of excuse to do so. Thanks for reading and reviewing!

**MyBeloved**: Your review made me blush! Really blush! As in so red I lit the room! Thank you for such kind words. It's true I didn't plan most of the details – I only had the basic storyline in my mind when I wrote this, the details come literally at the moment I write them. Knowing things are going to end is both a happy thing and an unhappy one, I know the feeling too well. Sides? Aa, it'll not stop, no worries. I will continue it… though how? Well, that's a little detail I like to keep in the dark. Thanks for the review - it made my day.

**Code_Geass_Lover:** Haha *blushes* I tried to make it intense and it seems to have worked…. Somehow. Thanks for the review.

**AD: You know the drill. WitchxWarlock forum. Did I mention it's a place of inspiration and I'm much more likely to write if you let me glomp you in there?**

**KiKi Hayashi**


	8. Cinderella's Escape

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Code Geass or the story of Cinderella.

**Apologies** to adorable betas for not letting them read this first. This experiment of mine is nearly over so bear with me a little longer, please. Thank you.

**Warning**: I don't know what I wrote anymore, severe Canon Sue I think. Yet another love/hate product of mine.

* * *

**Chapter 8 – Cinderella's Escape**

* * *

I must have fallen asleep for I do not recall the carriage being so bright before - well not bright per say, but lighter than I last remembered. Where the interior of the carriage used to be hazy shadowed charcoal, it was now splashed with watery blue as the sky started waking up for dawn.

I was rudely jolted awake by the carriage. It sent me flying forward until my body crashed onto the floor and my chin banged off the edge of the seats opposite mine.

I groaned, dazed, hurt and confused before rolling over so I was on my back and blinking blearily at the lace curtains that shivered as Mao's carriage continued to drive me to who knows where.

The carriage jolted again and I bounced painfully on the floor. Grumbling, I licked my lips and concluded we must be travelling down some unused country lane for main roads could hardly be so uneven.

Right, where was I again? Oh yes, escaping Mao. How truly courageously stupid of me to fall asleep when I have yet to free myself?

"_No worries, my C.C., as I'll think of something. You're so small I might be able to fit you in a bag then we wouldn't have to worry about paying for your part of the trip."_

I grunted once as those words of Mao's ran through my mind. As much as I would love a lazy life without having to work for it, travelling in a bag was hardly my idea of a perfect journey and I would like to continue to devour pizzas with all my limbs intact, thank you very much.

I wriggled and rolled on the floor of the carriage trying to unfurl myself from the sheets wrapped tightly around me. It took a while and by the time I managed to it loosen enough for me to slink out off, I had several bruises on my knees, elbows and hips and I would guess at least a few bumps on my head too alongside with a bleeding lip and cheek where I accidentally bit myself. What exactly was Mao driving over? Molehills?

I tested the ropes on my wrists. I tugged, twisted, pulled, pushed, squeezed and even attempted to contort my body to get my arms in front of me to tear at the ropes with my teeth but it all ended with no success and gave me rope burns around my wrist.

The sky got lighter and the interior of the carriage became clearer as I was flung an inch into the air with each jolt of the carriage and ended up sprawling in a new unladylike position on the floor each and every time.

Urgh, I am convinced Mao must be knocking down pedestrians or wild animals and was running over them carelessly, using them as ramps. There was no other way a road could have this many bumps.

Another twist of the ropes behind me and I gave up. Who knew Gao Hai was so good at tying knots?

Another bump and another inelegant sprawl on the floor and I sighed. Enough was enough.

I got onto my feet unsteadily, stooping slightly because of the low ceiling. Now, I just have to find a way to open the locked door.

An idea sparked in my head and I peered down at the bruises appearing on my upper arms before rolling my eyes and shrugging.

"May as well…" I muttered.

* * *

"C.C.! What are you doing?!" Mao's voice cried from the front of the carriage.

I slumped my body against the edge of the doorway, my feet dangling out dangerously and my breath puffing out of me as the opened door now flapped loudly against the outside of the carriage. My body felt as if I was ran over by a carriage – several times! – but in general, I was laughing quietly and blinking slightly as the sun rose out of the hills and begun blinding us all with its rays

"You need better locks, my boy," I said with a chuckle, ignoring the way the thundering of the carriage's wheels might block all my words from Mao's ears. "This one didn't even last until my tenth charge."

Well, it was not exactly true – it was not exactly nine. I just lost count at some point of how many times I had backed up, ran and rammed my body against the door. Oh, stop shaking your head at me, my body was battered enough already so a few more bruises could hardly make much difference.

I put a foot and pushed against the now flapping door so that it remained wide open and not slam close and chop my feet off. "Mao, stop the carriage and let me go." I shouted over the din of the horses and carriage.

He leant his lanky body to one side so that he had a better view of me then whipped his head around to stare at me incredulously once he was sure the horses were going down a straight lane. "Let you go? But… why? You are mine. You love me. We can live happily together. I can look after you."

He babbled on, eyes getting wider and more enthusiastic as the 'happily ever after' ideas flooded his head. I groaned and slumped against the doorframe, wondering if it would hurt much if I hurled myself off the carriage now. I really would like to have a pizza right about now.

"C.C.!" Mao's voice called and I snapped my attention back to him once more. His eyes softened and he smiled at me tenderly. "I love you, C.C.. Please come with me. I returned to take you away with me. We can live in a small house in Australia and nobody can makes us-"

He didn't get to finish his line for the carriage went over something larger than expected and he toppled to one side, dragging the reins with him. The horses whinnied and neighed as they were suddenly forced to turn an unexpected direction.

"Mao!"

"C.C.!"

The carriage rumbled and tilted dangerously off the road and to the sloped verge on left. Another jolt and I lost my perch at the opened doorway. Wind rushed around me, my rear end was no longer on anything solid and I was flying through the air. My eyes widened as I watched as the grassy ground suddenly loom a lot closer than it was a second ago.

"C.C.!" Mao cried behind me but the horses shrieked and a crashing sound followed his voice.

I landed on my shoulder, crying and gasping out in pain as the ground smashed into my arm and I bounced once, twice and a third time…. Maybe even a fourth but I couldn't keep track for soon afterwards, I was rolling.

I felt weeds and nettle scrape at my exposed skin and screwed my eyes shut, clamping my teeth together and tried to will the pain away as I kept rolling down the slope.

"Urgh," I groaned, feeling battered and my limbs felt as heavy as lead. I blinked my eyes as my vision cleared.

* * *

I must have blackout somewhere in my fall, which was probably a good thing because I did not quite want to go through experiencing it in my mind. It was more comforting to have a scene of total blackness rather than the horrible images of my own body being bullied by the ground.

I winced and painfully rolled over, awkwardly getting up on with my hands still tied, sucking in a breath when I saw how scratched and torn my clothes and skin were.

I got onto my feet unsteadily, testing the ropes around my wrists once more. Why are they still so tight? What kind of knot did Gao Hai tie here?

I looked up and blinked at the sight of the upturned carriage perhaps a hundred metres or more in front of me. The wheel in the air was still rotating slowly and the horses screamed and whinnied, trying to clamber off each other but the reins that tied them kept them trapped and tangled.

Mao.

Where's Mao? Did he get flung off when the carriage rolled down the slope?

"Mao?" my voice croaked testily then I licked my lips and tried again.

No response. I groaned, it was only morning and I have a smarting headache already. This is going to be a long day. I took one step and hissed as I stubbed my toe on an hidden bit of rock. Bare feet and a slope of weed filled long grass – fun.

"Ma-" I tried once more but was interrupted by a loud thundering of hooves.

Hooves… from…. the road?

At first there was nothing then a few minutes later and as the thundering got louder, I witnessed what looked like a blur of white and mottled grey flying past so quick that I was left wondering if I imagined the entire thing.

I blinked then realised that I was watching a cavalry passing by and I was stupidly standing there instead of calling for their help.

There was a sudden confusion among the horses as somebody spotted the Mao's carriage and the crowd of horses switched directions. They leapt off the road, tore down the slope like a white and grey storm cloud and surrounded the upturn vehicle in a matter of seconds.

Mao!

They would not stampede over him by accident, would they? They could see him and avoid him, surely? Even though I hated his act of kidnapping me, I still liked him in the past before he left me so many years ago.

I started forward and successfully scratched my bare feet and toes on dozens of rocks and weeds before I winced, huffed and crumpled to the ground barely halfway towards the crowd of horses. My feet hurts, my legs hurt, my wrists hurt, my head hurts… urgh, everywhere hurts!

"C.C. is mine. What do you want with her? She's mine! C.C. is mine. We will go to Australia together!"

Mao? He's… fine? Hmph, silly boy is harder to kill off than I thought.

"Where is C.C.?" a voice asked among the crowd of horses and I paused then lifted my head.

Is that…?

"The prince is asking you where the young lady is," another voice snapped.

The… prince?

"Where is she?" the voice I recognised asked again, losing patience with each syllable.

I grinned to myself, placing a hand over my eyes as I chuckled to the sky.

To think that the prince himself would come on horseback to rescue a mad maid such as I, oh how I laughed at this story that's my life. It was like a fairytale of some sort, some whimsical tale told by a young woman with too much time on her hands and a mind far too jam-packed with useless ideas that will never come true.

I laughed, I laughed and oh, how I laughed.

I laughed, not quite knowing why I was laughing anymore – was it out of relief? From being saved? At myself? I don't know anymore. I just wanted to laugh.

I took a deep breath and reduced my laughing to quiet chuckling as the horsemen's shouting continued to float over the long grass and brambles that separated me from them.

Some of them looked around for the source of the sudden laughter but the long grasses curtained me from their view. I guess it cannot be helped that my hair, in its unwashed and messy green state, simply camouflaged me into the scenery.

I snorted back another choking laugh and lifted my head higher, getting tired of this whole story and just wanting it to be over so that I can sit down somewhere and enjoy delicious flatbread with cheese and tomato drizzled on top.

Somebody finally notice my pale face among the grasses and started walking towards me, only glancing back once when somebody called his name.

He walked.

Then he walked faster.

I grinned then laid back down on the floor as I heard his progress through the long grass starting to speed up.

Somebody called after him again.

He started running and my grin grew as I heard the weeds and bramble twigs snap with every step he took.

Suddenly he was standing beside me, only two feet away, with his hands on his knees and panting as if he just ran a mile.

"You really should exercise more, you highness," I commented feeling my lashes lowered just enough to turn my grin into a smirk.

He scowled at me, an expression that only made my smirk grow wider.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, slightly annoyed by my tease. I watched him as he suddenly realise why I was lying there, he ran his eyes down my limbs, taking in my battered state and then bent down to kneel beside me. "Are you hurt anywhere else? Did you break anything?"

"I wouldn't know. I just feel like I got trampled over by several herds of goat and my body feels too numb to know where it hurts more and where it doesn't."

The corner of his lip twitched up once, trying to grin but he suppressed it so as not to look too insensitive. I rolled my eyes at him and he allowed the grin to cross his face this time.

"You're a troublesome witch," he said and my smirk grew as I closed my eyes, listening to his men babbling something in the background and feeling the morning chill seep into me from the ground.

"Well, you're a slow warlock."

"I thought we had a contract, you were to be under my employment once you leave your former one." I felt his hand touching my hair, brushing aside strands so that my face was full uncovered. "I do not recall saying that you're allowed holiday leave so soon after I employed you."

"You did not specify I couldn't either, your highness."I opened my eyes again when I felt his fingers wiping at the grime on my face and smoothing strands of my hair free of leaves and grass and what not.

"Hmm, a valid point. Can you get up?"

"Would it be docked from my pay if I cannot?"

He blinked at me then laughed, "You're a strange girl, C.C.."

"Says the prince who chased after the strange girl. I wonder who is stranger – the girl or the one who chased after the strange one?"

He shook his head then helped me up.

"Your highness!" somebody called, stomping through the long grass and getting closer.

The prince waved him off and started untying my wrists. "It's fine, Suzaku. She's here."

"Is your fiancée unharmed?" the boy asked almost hesitantly and standing where he stopped.

Fiancée? Huh? What?

I pulled my hands in front of me, stretching my arms forward painfully and rubbing at my wrists where the ropes had cut deep enough for there to be a red band on my skin.

My smirk returned as I flicked a gaze at the prince. "Fiancée? Another contract detail that I wasn't aware of?"

He winced, "hmph, hardly. It was a misunderstanding – one I'll clear up once I get home."

He stood up and Suzaku started forward again. I heard him crunch past a few steps of weeds before Lelouch waved for him to stop again.

"What are you doing, your highness?" I asked suspiciously, slowly moving my legs and arms so that I can get up and onto my feet. My arm wobbled as soon as I started to get up and I would have fallen back down had Lelouch not caught hold of my elbow and shoulder.

He grumbled, pulled off his cloak in one hand, ignoring the way the pin that held it together flicked off and disappear into the long grass, and draped it around my shoulders. "What kind of prince would I be if I allow a lady to walk out with a torn dress like that?"

"Hn, the prince is a gentleman, I see."

"Naturally."

"Then I guess he's gentlemanly enough to carry me to his horse?"

He faltered here, glancing at me then at the distance he must cross whilst carrying me.

"Surely, you do not expect an injured and barefooted young woman such as myself to walk the distance," I chuckled wryly with a raised eyebrow.

"No, of course not," he said then bent, adjusted his cloak around me securely and picked me up as gently as he could.

I smirked, closed my eyes and rested my forehead against his shoulder. "How sweet, to be carried bridal style by my fiancé."

"It's a misunderstanding, C.C.," he hissed.

"Indeed but until it's resolved, I am still considered as such and am going to take full advantage of it, your highness."

"Witch."

"Warlock."

* * *

END OF CHAPTER 8

* * *

**MyBeloved727:** I love Mao. He's adorable, me thinks. I want to adopt him ^^ Thanks for leaving such a long review. Your description of Lelouch had me giggling like a schoolgirl.

**KatYen**: I don't think I'm one who possess the brain you describe. *chuckles* Nah, I think it's mostly luck on my part than brains. Lucky that certain ideas pop in at certain times.

**AD: WitchxWarlock forum! Link in my profile!**

**ONE MORE CHAPTER LEFT!  
**

**KiKi Hayashi  
**


	9. Cinderella's Ever After

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Code Geass and the story of Cinderella. They belong to their respective owners.

**Apologies** to adorable betas as usual for not letting them read this beforehand. I started this in order to see test myself and see how far I can go without help. I managed to finish it and I know there are numerous mistakes everywhere and you're probably grimacing over how OOC the entire cast was. I apologise and I thank both of you for letting me continue. Thank you.

**A/N:** I have a love-hate relationship with this chapter but then again, I have this kind of relationship with many works from my hand. Tis normal and I've learnt to no longer let it affect me…that much.

* * *

**Chapter Nine – Cinderella's Ever After**

* * *

I sat at the edge of the garden, in the shade of a veranda decorated with some clinging plant I don't quite recognise – wisteria possibly, though I was never terribly good at naming flowers even after all that time I spent with Mao in the garden in the past.

I watched with little interest as my employer's sister stared disappointedly down at her sketchbook before putting it aside on the picnic rug she was seated on. "It doesn't look right," I heard her voice say to her art teacher. "Can I not draw something else?"

Her art teacher shook her head and placed the sketchpad back into the princess's hands, gently coaxing her back to finishing the piece.

I sighed, sipped my cup of tea and flicked idly through the princess's schedule in front of me. Who knew that being a princess's social secretary was so… blissful? Not only do I get to sit around and not do anything most of the day save accompany her highness everywhere, I also get to bully every socialite who wanted a bit of Nunnally's attention. There was always the bonus entertainment of seeing how much they're willing to give in attempt to bribe me into inserting their names into a few scraps of paper.

Hm, if only I could have pizza everyday delivered to me then this job would be perfect.

Aa… pizza…

"You have a certain look on your face when you think of pizza," a voice noted and I stopped daydreaming to see Prince Lelouch step into the shade of the veranda beside me, unnoticed by the art teacher and Nunnally who was still going about their lesson at the other side of the garden.

"Oh? Is that so?" I asked, neatly plucking a stray petal, which had fallen into my cup, from my tea and sipping at it once more. "And what kind of look would that be, your highness?"

It occurred to me that I completely forgot to bob a curtsey to him like I was taught to by the other servants but by then, I had swallowed my tea and was far too lazy to get off my seat. Instead, I covered my mistake with a smirk and pretended that the entire lack of action was intentional.

"No curtsey? What a rude servant."

I chuckled into the rim of my teacup. "Surely a gentleman like yourself would not expect a young lady, who is still recovering from her injuries, to get off her seat just to greet you."

His violet eyes went down to stare at the hem of my dress where my feet were hidden. "I recall you were walking fine earlier today."

"If being fine meant leaning most of my weight on your sister's wheelchair and limping along behind her then, yes, I was walking fine."

"And what of the time your step-father visited?"

"I was sitting for most of that meeting so it hardly required more exercise than lifting a teacup and sipping from it." I chuckled at the memory, it had been amusing to watch him squirm in the chair nervously now that he knew I'm in such close contact with royalty. Aa, but I was far too lazy to consider a punishment for all the things he put me through and he was lucky (or unfortunate, perhaps) that all I asked was for a say in Tianzi's upbringing and anything that concerns her.

For my young timid stepsister was the one who heard my muffled kidnapping and peeked through the window to see Mao stuff me into the carriage. She was the one who ran, terrified, into Xianglin's room and cried for help. She was also the one who ran, tripping over her nightdress, to the stables whilst Xianglin stalled Gao Hai (who woke up from Tianzi's cries) and shook Xingke awake. She was the one who begged then shakily ordered Xingke to climb on a horse and gallop to the castle to summon help. Without her, my cavalry wouldn't have been so quick to follow Mao's trail and found me lying at the bottom of a hill.

How could I possibly leave that child alone in that house with Gao Hai ruling her life when she has done that much to me? The least I could do as her stepsister is to ensure she grows up a fine young lady and to ensure my step-father don't marry her to a pig of a man. Oh, Gao Hai was not pleased with the amount of say I demanded over Tianzi's upbringing but when he considered the prospect of how close a contact his daughter could have with members of high society and royalty due to my post, he reluctantly agreed.

Aa, I'm wandering off in my memories again…

"And what of the time I saw you heading towards Mao's cell?"

"Did you not see the young servant boy who was acting as my crutch for that trip? Mao complains about the quality of your prison food, by the way, and your guards are getting rather unnerved by his constant madness talking so do hurry up and decide what you want to do with him."

He turned and leant against the wall, watching Nunnally on the grass with her lesson and then slid his gaze to one side to watch me from the corners of his eyes. "And what do you propose we do with him?"

I scoffed, "You? Asking for a servant's opinion? Is that why you're over here, risking more rumours-"

"I settled those fiancé rumours."

Another unladylike scoff escaped my lips, "Hardly, your highness. Your mother and sisters are still under half the impression that there are truths in the rumours."

He sighed and I continued my previous question, "is that why you're over here, risking more rumours about us, rather than being over there doting on your precious little sister like you always do?"

This caused him to raise an eyebrow in my direction. "The lady thinks too highly of herself."

"The lady is merely curious over the prince's purpose here under the veranda with her."

"The prince is only here to speak to the lady to rearrange an appointment."

I grinned, leant my elbow on my seat's arm and balanced my chin on the palm of my hand as I gazed at him through my lashes and bangs. "An appointment? With the lady?"

He turned to face me fully, slightly puzzled over what direction this conversation was going but mostly curious. "No, my sister."

"Hm, pity. The lady does think the prince loves his sister too much."

He showed the barest hints of a grimace but quickly composed his face. "Tch, say the lady who loves her pizzas too much."

"The lady is a witch after all," I answered effortlessly and flicked open Nunnally's scheduler. "Now, which appointment is the warlock referring to?"

"This afternoon, I'll be out of my other appointments earlier than expected so I can be with Nunnally longer."

"But she has a visit from Lady Kaguya at that time. You can always join them."

"I prefer… not to."

"Hm…" I lowered the scheduler, "I could rearrange the appointment for you but what can you give me in return?"

He laughed, "I'm your employer, C.C.. Surely that is enough reason for you to rearrange some time slots for me."

"Ara? I was rather sure you hired me because I don't bend so easily to power and rank," I smirked and leant even more forward on my propped up hand, fully challenging him with my posture. "So, what shall we settle on? How about having pizza cooked in the kitchens for me rather than I, myself, having to make a trip down to town to buy them and I'll allow you any time slots you desire?"

"That was not part of the contract," he replied coolly but I detected a small amount of frustration in his tone.

"We can make it part of the contract," I drawled out slowly, allowing the words to sink into his mind.

This time, it was his turn to smirk. "Very well," said Prince Lelouch and I blinked. Very well? That easily? He would get the royal kitchen to cook pizza for a servant just so he can have full control of his time slots with Nunnally? My, our prince's sister complex was more powerful than I thought.

"And how do you propose we add this detail to the contract? Since you sealed the original contract with a kiss. Are you going to claim I stole another kiss from you, my witch?"

I barked a few short laughs then regard him with eyes that I know were glowing with mirth. "A kiss on the lips is worth much more than a mere addition to the contract. No, we'll add it…"

I lifted my chin off my hand and raised the appendage into the air, fingers poised daintily like I've seen many ladies do.

"…like so," I finished, grinning victoriously.

He stared at my hand for a few seconds then came forward, with a grin on his face. "I see. Clever, my witch." He reached and clasped my hand, bending his head down until I could feel his breath on my knuckles. "You sealed a contract with a kiss and now you add a detail with another kiss of lighter weight."

"I am always clever, Lulu."

He grinned more and I felt his lips on my fingers, pressing firmly down on the skin.

I chuckled.

A job where I laze around, do almost nothing and get to bully silly fools around.

A job where I don't have to be ash covered anymore.

And now, it's a job where I get to eat pizza every day every meal.

The prince lifted his lips from my hand and I closed my eyes and chuckled.

Finally, I can start my happily ever after.

* * *

THE END

* * *

**Thank you, everyone, for reading this far and for all your kind thoughts and words. Thank you.**

**KiKi Hayashi**


End file.
